Melody of Memories
by lemony.club
Summary: He'd saved and healed her, but sadly, he did not remember the kindness that he'd showed nor the days they'd spent together side by side. The only thing that could bring them back was the precious item he has given her, for the melody it chimes will unravel the labyrinth of memories that they both shared. AU? R&R. (RR) NarutoxKuroka.
1. Prologue

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

"Talking" – 'Thought' – **Furball's Speeches **– _MemoryLane/Names – _(Thought Scenario)_ – **Important**_

* * *

**=[Prologue]=**

The young blond-haired child panted heavily before collapsing on the shattered earth the moment his strength left him. The yellowish flickering aura around his body dissipated as he could no longer maintain it. The older blond at the opposite side of the field brushed his attire and suppressed his demonic aura again. He then approached the child with a few steps and couched down to his side before patting the child's back like a loving father would. With the simple gesture, the boy groaned as he took the needed rest for his energy to recuperate.

"I'm not done. Just give me a minute to catch my breath," the child requested, seemingly unfazed by his painful condition. It was nothing new as he had gone through them thousands of times before.

"I think this is enough, Naruto," Minato said with a warm smile. He examined his twelve year old son to make sure there was no permanent damage. His hot-headed wife, Kushina Uzumaki, would not let him off easy if the most cherish thing in her life was crippled. "Do you still want to continue like this? I understand that you want me to fight you as if you were an enemy, but I fear I might accidently injure you one day."

Naruo blinked several times to clear the infectious dust from his eyes before rolling to his back and looked at the purplish sky of the underworld. "My body is made of tougher stuff, Minato… I mean Otou-sama. Hehehe…. Sorry, bad habit. I will fix it soon, I swear!"

"You kept saying that, but then constantly relapsing back to using my first name," Minato replied. "It's rude to call your elders like that. Then again, I'm not like your mother so I will be lenience with you."

"Awesome," Naruto cheered with a wide grin. He then put his palm toward the darkened sky to see the light passing between his fingers. "But dad, I'm your son! I'm the son of the great Namikaze, the undefeated hero of the Great War! I don't want to lose to anyone even you!"

"Naruto, that is not true," Minato said softly. "I have been defeated plenty of times before. Defeat does not mean the end. In a friendly sparring, it's better to lose than to win because you learn more from your mistake. Also, if your opponent is a girl you like, you must always admit your defeat no matter what."

"Eh!? Why?" Naruto questioned with confusion. "Why would I want to do that? If she hits me, I will hit her back! I'm not back down to anyone, believe it!"

Minato chuckled. "Just trust me on that. I will explain more on the benefit you can reap when you're older. Anyway, do you want me to carry home this time?"

"I'm not a kid anymore! I can get home on my power… *grunted* Ummm… I'm exhausted right now so I will stay here for a little bit, dad. I promise I will get home before dinner," Naruto answered. He didn't want to return home all exhausted, and resting would help him recover his power must faster. When he woke up again, he would be famished and in time for a hefty meal.

"Alright," Minato said and gave a light nod. "But if you don't return on time, I will come to find you with your mother in tow. You know how edgy she gets when you break your promise right?"

Remembering what happened last time, Naruto shivered in fright and nodded slowly. "I will never ever break a promise again! I swear!"

"Be home soon," Minato said with a chuckle. He stood up straight and had a brief glance at the destroyed surrounding. This part of the underworld was abandoned since there wasn't enough of their population to go around, not since the Civil War. "I will see you at dinner then."

Naruto saw his father vanished in a yellow flash before giving a tired yawn before dozing off into the dream world. With that accomplishment, the surrounding entered a blissful silence. In his inner world, he saw a girl with blackened hair and golden eyes teasing him. Her face was too blurry for him to make it out completely.

_"Nya, if you desired so, master. We can stay like this forever," she mumbled like a cat as she licked his chest and face flirtatiously as he couldn't move. She then lowered her upper body to his waist and pressed her enormous cleavages around his pole. Submerging it almost fully into the fleshy mountain, she licked the crown playfully before enveloped it completely in her orifice. "Please let the milk out… m-a-s-t-e-r."_

"No, I'm too young for this!" Naruto shouted as he thrashed around before snapping open his eyes and panting heavily.

"What a weird dream," Naruto claimed as he checked his pant to make sure everything was fine. Soon enough, a yowling of an animal had caught his attention. Scratching his head drowsily, he pulled himself in an upright seated position and had a look around the arid landscape.

"What was that…?" Naruto said as the wailing cry vanished. Feeling his energy had recovered greatly in the light nap accompanied by an odd erotic dream of a girl he never met once, he stood up while his tattered clothes glowed brightly like an overpowered light bulb. It then faded away, revealing completely fixed attire. He put both hands around the back of his head like a support and skipped across the ground playfully. "Ah, I'm probably hearing things again."

With a smirk he vanished in an orange flash and kicked the small slab of stone over once he materialized again. He stared down at the small creature underneath. "You expect me to say something like that wouldn't you…? Huh?"

It was a small cat with black and reddish fur cowering into the corner.

"Hello there, Neko-chan. Where did you come from?" Naruto asked as he moved closer toward it. The cat was frightened as it tried to back away from the blond's reach. The ghastly injuries it had over its entire body had made it distrusted everyone. Seeing the child's hands closing in around it, it tried to escape through the obvious path, but was caught before it could get away.

The cat tried to scratch its captor, but he blocked both of its paws effortlessly while raising a brow. Soon enough, he was holding a paw in each hand, raising the feline to his eyelevel. It about to use its hind legs to kick him, but he let its paws go, stunning it as it landed on the ground again.

"Calm down, Neko-chan. I'm not going to hurt you. Are you lost?" Naruto asked, looking at his hand. The cat's fur wasn't black and red. It was just black as he rubbed the blood over his fingers. "You're seriously injured. Did your master do that to you?"

The cat blinked and let out an inaudible sigh as its owner was dead. It'd killed the man, and it felt no guilty in doing so. The cat licked the opened wounds on both of its arms cutely in an effort to stop the blood flow. After the bleeding had stopped sufficiently, it turned around and tried to leave the area to somewhere safer and secluded to rest. It let out a surprise sound when the boy wrapped his arm around its body.

"You're not going anywhere, Neko-chan," Naruto said with solid determination before forming a wide smile as the cat trying to pull itself out from his hold. "Give it up. You're not going to break out with your injuries. After I patched you up, you can leave to go wherever you want."

Trying a few more times, the cat let out another inaudible sigh and accepted its fate.

"That's a good boy," Naruto said cheerfully, lifting it up in the air with both hands as its twin tail flickering around. "Let's go home. I hope mum won't mind if I brought a pet home."

**XxXxX**

"Of course I mind, you dumbass, don't go pick up strays!" Kushina roared angrily and whacked her idiot son across the head with a frying pan. "And who said you could have a pet!? Do you know how annoying they are?"

"But it was hurt, and just can't leave it there to die, Okaa-sama," Naruto protested while rubbing the newly made bump with tear pooled around his blue eyes. Minato sighed and averted his eyes from his son and wife to examine the injured cat that was placed on the dinner table.

"Kushina. You have always said not to hit our son in the head because it makes him dumb so why are you doing that? Please put the pan away," Minato suggested while Kushina was fuming at her mistake from his blind spot. She placed the frying pan back on the inactive stove, but even so, the cooking instrument was glowing red hot in her hand. Minato then leered at his son. "Naruto, do you know what this animal is?"

"Ummm… isn't it a cat? I saw their pictures in the books," Naruto answered truthfully before smilingly brightly. "It has two tails unlike the one in the books, isn't that cool? Maybe it's a new species of cat never captured before? Can I keep it?"

Minato chuckled at the misconception and made a mental note to stock books on youkais in the library for his son to learn. "Alright, I don't mind you patching it up, but if it wanted to leave, you must let it go without crying, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I promise," Naruto replied with a mischievous smile. He then opened the cabinet along the wall in order to find some healing remedies and bandages before looking around at other cabinets in the kitchen. Eventually, the search earned him another whack of his mother since he was pushing her out of the way to access another storage area.

When he acquired everything he needed from the room, he called out: "Ah, I need the medical book in the library. I'll be right back, Neko-chan."

Once the boy left the room, Minato turned back to the nekomata with a serious expression. It was enough for the cat to gaze uninterruptedly at the blond. "I am Minato Namikaze and she is my wife, Kushina Uzumaki. Do you know who we are?"

"Nyan… I do," the cat replied with visible shakiness in her tone. "Namikaze and Uzumaki are well known heroes of the Great War. I didn't think both were still alive and well."

"Yes we are. You should know what will happen if you hurt my son in any way," Minato said. He didn't allow any time for the cat to response since it wasn't exactly a question, but a statement. If he couldn't carry out his threat for whatever reason, his wife would, and nothing would stand in her way. "I am sensing a presence of the Evil Pieces within you, but the aura they gave off feels corrupted for reason I don't know. Where is your master?"

"… He's dead along with the rest of his peerages," the cat replied truthfully. It then looked toward the ground. "As to how, I killed them."

"I see, you just brought yourself a problem," Minato said with a frown. Kuroka blinked with surprise at the calming demeanor of the blond man. She believed he would have shown more emotions with the information she just divulged. A servant killing their master was a taboo. The crimson-haired woman by the stove was indifferent to the ordeal as well.

"You must have your reason for doing that," Minato said with a smile. "You must know killing your master while being part of the peerage is a death sentence. Even if you somehow overcame the induced corruption and insanity, you would be hunted for the rest of your life. If that was the case then you must have no choice in the matter so I won't ask who he is or why you did it right now."

"Thank you, Namikaze-sama," Kuroka thanked sincerely. She wouldn't be able to escape either of these two if they were to prosecute her. Namikaze clan was known to be the fastest among the devils clan. No one can outrun them. In contrast, Uzumaki clan was said to have to power to restrain and imprison even Gods.

Before Minato could continue his light interrogation of the nekomata, Naruto walked back in the room while looking through the medical book in his hand. "Alright, I think I understand how to treat your wounds, Neko-chan. We should get started."

Kushina placed down the plate of food she just made and growled at her son. "Don't play surgery on the dinner table. Where is your manner?"

"I-I'm sorry, Okaa-sama," Naruto stuttered as he picked up the black cat and left the room with all the materials he collected around the kitchen. "I can't do it in the library… do you want to see my room, Neko-chan?"

Kuroka meowed as a reply. Once in his room, Naruto nodded as he rubbing burning liquids over her wounds. She screeched loudly as it was painful. She didn't do more than that as the boy seemed genuine concern even though he seemed to be careless at times. After the torturous first aid, he bandaged her body all over. She was shocked to find that he turned her into some sort of spherical ball with her head sticking out at one end.

"Baka!" Kuroka shouted in annoyance.

"Huh?" Naruto questioned when he heard that while Kuroka blinked and played mute. She then meowed softly as he narrowed his blue eyes, gazing into her golden. "I thought you just call me an idiot, but that can't be right? Can cat talks?"

Naruto laughed before stopping abruptly and stared suspiciously at creature again. He then rubbed his head, feeling the bump on his fingertips. "Mum must have nudged my brain when she whacked me before. Oh well. Are you hungry?"

Kuroka gave a head nod. Naruto picked up the bandaged ball he just made with the nekomata as its core and returned back into the kitchen to have dinner with his parents. With the sphere in sight, it only took a fraction of a second for Minato to crack up while Kushina was speechless.

"Do we have any milk, Okaa-sama?" Naruto asked, opening a cupboard with ice along the side. "Why can't we get a electric fridge from the human world?"

"Then we would have to get a generator to power it," Kushina said. "Or use your father as one. Either seemed inadequate."

"Hey! I'm not a battery, and I'm not inadequate!" Minato broke out of his amusement. He then rolled the bandaged sphere that was Kuroka across the table to introduce it again. The cat imprisoned within didn't like that as she tried to bite his fingers when his hand got close enough. Naruto, on the other hand, was ransacking the cupboards to find something editable for the cat.

"Enough already," Kushina growled. With a flick of her hand, flames crashed into Kuroka, turning her into a ball of fire rolling on top of the table. Kuroka was shocked at first, but the flames did not hurt her as they only burnt off the bandages. Once she was free, Minato patted her on head as lightning crackled on his arm. With a powerful jolt, it forced her immune system to go into overdrive. Her regeneration power was amplified greatly so her wounds would heal in seconds.

"And you Sochi, we're out of milk so go back to your seat and eat your meal before it gets cold," Kushina ordered before getting up and made an extra plate for the cat. "You, eat."

Kuroka nodded before staring at the offer. She was still afflicted with the curse that the evil pieces within her the moment she'd killed her master. With the deed done, she was being hunted nonstop for the last few days. She wasn't sure when she would overcome it and returned to her full power and form so she could go and save her captured sister, Shirone.

"Here, let's me help," Naruto said as he started spoon feeding the cat like a baby.

Kuroka refused at first since she was older than the kid, but accepted his relentless kindness soon enough. She hadn't eaten anything for days while on the run so the food was delicious. Once the meal was concluded, Minato was forced to wash the dishes while Kushina checked her son for any hidden injuries that her husband might neglect to tell her about.

"You smell awful, Sochi, come with me," Kushina ordered as she dragged him out of the room with a strong hand grip.

"Wait! I'm already old enough! I can wash myself, Okaa-sama!" Naruto pulled out of the grip and ran off down the corridor with the cat in his arms. "You're dirty as well, Neko-chan. Let's take a bath together."

Not even letting her to refuse, he entered a large room with a filled pool in the middle. It could be equate to an indoor onsen; big enough for several families. She watched the strip show by the twelve year old when he removed his attire by having it disintegrated slowly into fiery flakes. He then jumped into the water butt naked with a loud splash as she strolled along the edge and tapping the liquid to test it with her paw. It was ice cold, but with a gesture with his hand, a fiery chain materialized and wrapped around her body. She was yanked into the pool with a small slash.

Kuroka growled angrily as he simply laughed at her attempt to stay afloat in the icy water. Before she could go under, he pulled her up into his embrace with a hand while she shivered uncontrollably.

"Ah sorry, about that," Naruto giggled as his demonic aura spiked up. The water began to boil as dense steams erupted from the surface causing visibility around the room to drop sharply. "It was pretty cold wasn't it?"

Kuroka meowed lowly as he chuckled. "Yeah, I forget sometimes. Just remind me next time."

He then rubbed her neck as an apology. She purred on reflex before trying to scratch him for doing that, but he simply laughed at her failed attempt. Bubbles began to form on the surface as he used soap to wash off the blood off her fur, returning the black silkiness it once had. Afterward, Kuroka was left sitting on top of his chest as he floated on top of the water.

"Say, Neko-chan. You don't have a collar on you so you must be a stray like mum said. Do you want to stay here with me? I've never met anyone besides my parents because they don't want to interact with the world anymore. I don't mind being here with them, but it gets lonely sometimes," Naruto said.

Kuroka noted that the boy had considered a creature – a pet – as a person. She also realized from the statement that his parents must have faked their death during the war and gone into hiding away from everything else. If that was the case, the house was relatively safe. She could stay here until she returned to her true form again. She gave purr in acceptance before brushing her whiskered against his cheek as he smiled.

"Awesome," Naruto said. "What should I call you then? How about Tora-chan? A stronger cat is the tiger isn't it? And you are like one when you tried to scratch me. Maybe you're one underneath?"

Kuroka created a cut across his cheek with swipe, surprising him.

"You don't like it? Okay, how about something else, hmmm…" Naruto was about to rub the blood away with his thumb, but the cat licked the blood that was seeping through the shallow wound.

Her golden eyes sharpened as she realized he wasn't pureblood devil once the liquid entered her, filling her with ecstasy and drawing out her natural instinct. Even in her current state, she had enough control to stop it dominating her mind. It was only equivalent to a few drops, but the sensation was definitely there. She could finally feel it as a monstrous shadowy silhouette with nine flickering tendrils stared down at her from above.

It was obviously wasn't there physically, but the vision she saw was true nonetheless. Coursing through his vein was the sacred bloodline of a Kyuubi, the greatest youkai to walk the world. He might not know it yet as he patted her over the head, completely unaware of the shadow of a colossus towering over him.

"Well, how about Kuro-chan then?" Naruto asked. "It's your color."

Kuroka nodded several times and curling her body on top of the boy as darkness creped around the corner of her eyes. She was nudged awake when a towel wrapped around her body and dried off the water. She blinked as the blond child stared back at her.

"Did I wake you? Sorry, but we need to get out," Naruto said as his mother was shouting outside the door. He had been in the bathroom for the last hour. Once done with his task, he stood straight up while flames swirled over his well-defined naked body. They solidified and formed new clothing before he lifted her up into his arm. "If you are tired, you can sleep in my room for now."

Once Naruto exited the room, he saw his parents stared at him.

"Did you just take a bath with the cat? I got replaced by a stupid cat!?" Kushina roared before sobbing, making her husband patted her in comfort. "I want that cat gone!"

"No way, he's my pet now," Naruto refused the demand. He then pointed the cat at them. "Kuro-chan! Say hello to Okaa-sama and Otou-sama."

That attempt did not amuse either of the parents.

"You do know it's a she right?" Minato asked as Naruto's jaw slackened at the revelation. He then turned it around and lifted the cat up above his head to check the important detail. He got a scratch across his face with her legs for his effort.

"I'm sorry, Kuro-chan," Naruto apologized as he carried her to his room, leaving his parents behind to their own things.

"It's still early for me to snooze, but you can sleep here for now. I promise I will make something better for you tomorrow," Naruto said before leaving to the library.

Kuroka was left alone in the room as she yawned and dozed off, wondering when she would return to normal form again. She opened her eyes as morning came and felt her body was hold tightly by the sleeping child by her side. She pulled herself out of his arm and let out a sigh. She then jumped up onto the ledge of the opened window in the room and saw numerous glowing magical circles overlapping each other around the building. They were powerful enough to imitate day and night cycle like the sky of the underworld while preventing others from teleporting in and out. While they enveloped the only structure in the area, solid earth enveloped them in turn.

"Are you interest in that, Kura-chan?" Naruto asked from the bed before yawning. "My home is deep inside the ground so no one can find it. Even if they do, they have to dig through miles of solid stones and rocks. Only I and dad can teleport in and out from this place with the restriction seal active."

Kuroka meowed like a normal cat and jumped back onto the bed as Naruto leaned toward her. His blue eyes were mischievous and his wide grin didn't dissuade her otherwise. His arms wrapped around her tiny neck for a moment before letting it go. She pondered what that was about as she took a step forward. A chimed from a bell was heard when she did. She tried to look down, but she could not see it clearly. She then jumped across the bed, making the item rang with different tone, and looked the small mirror that was sitting on top of a desk.

A black silky collar was wrapped around her neck. In front of her vocal cord, a golden bell hanged by a small metallic chain with the word Kuro carved into it in thick black letter. She used her paw to make it chimed several times before a shadow towering over her. She saw the blond child behind her reflection in the mirror.

"Do you like it?" Naruto asked. "I took the whole night to find the right materials around the house to make it. The fabric is so soft that it hard to notice if it was there without touching it. As for the bell, I was going to make it black, but golden like your eyes was better. I also wrote your name on the chain. My name is on the other side in case you got lost."

Kuroka jumped up onto his shoulder and showed her affection by rubbing her cheek against his. Naruto giggled while she purred joyfully.

"I knew you like it. Let's go eat something and kick dad's ass! You can help me distract him! Believe it!"

She didn't know what he meant by that then, but witnessing the battle between father and son after breakfast, there was no doubt in her mind that the legend surrounding Namikaze was as accurate as they come. Minato Namikaze was so fast that she only saw him standing around lazily while her new master, Naruto, was being slapped around like a human yoyo. Even so, the blond boy didn't give up and kept assaulting the man with every chance he got.

In her mind, the boy would become a great person one day from his determination alone. She smiled at the thought.

The battle ended with Naruto beaten to the inch of his life. She climbed onto his battered form and licked his wounds like a loyal companion. He only chuckled at her concern and patted her on the head gently. She felt like a small child when he was doing that, and he seemed older as well. The three of them then returned home to have lunch. Milk was available this time around. Once it was done, he took her into a massive room with great numbers of bookshelf on multiple levels.

The library of the home had a multitude of subjects as she checked each of them briefly while he studied diligently in the large handcraft desk at the center of the room. She climbed onto the table where he was and saw for herself how complicated the materials he was studying. Finding a book of interest among the pile to his side, she flipped through the page with her paw and read each passage slowly and carefully.

"You're pretty smart yourself, aren't you, Kuro-chan," Naruto said once he noticed the cat was reading through the book like a real person.

Kuroka gave a nod when eyeing her master before returning to reading. Time flew by before she realized it was time for another battle in the evening. Her master had lost again, but he managed to hit his father a few time by employing new tactics he learn during his study. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was watching the fight while sending deadly killing intent directly at her. Kuroka had never felt that much fear since her reincarnation as a devil.

Hefty dinner was followed by another wonderful shower scene with her master. Her urge to tease him was rising to an explosive level as he ran around completely naked in the indoor bathhouse while she chased him. She regretted she couldn't do anymore in her current form, and becoming increasingly frustrated at each missed opportunity of each day that had passed.

Weeks flew by as she became more attached to her new master with his daily routine. She saw his prowess in battle while his powers and techniques grew with leap and bound with every defeat. She saw a glimpse of his incredible intelligence as he showed her interesting books around the library, reciting fond stories fully from memory. His view on the world was odd as he treated her like a person, a dearest friend even though she never replied with real words in returned. His innocent and kindness was shown in every waking moment they do thing together from eating, showering, studying, playing simple game as hide and seek while the precious bell on her neck chimed with random tone to remind him she was always nearby.

For a time, Kuroka truly hoped she would remain in such form and be his pet while fond memories added to her mind. Sadly, all good things must come to an end.

**XxXxX**

"Hmmm…." Naruto mumbled in his deep sleep while his face was pressed tightly against two soft warm mounts. He sighed on reflex and tried to pull away, but the strong arms wrapped around his neck always pulled him back into its embrace. "Okaa-sama… I'm not a kid anymore, stop sneaking in here and smoldering me…"

Kuroka's eyes snapped wide open when she heard the statement. She immediately noticed she had returned to her true form once again. The curse had finally broken as the two bishops pieces now under her total control. She looked down at her body and saw the blond's face was pressed tightly against her breasts with her hand wrapped around him. His breathing brushed her smooth skin as she purred on reflex.

"Nya… master?" Kuroka whispered inaudibly, but Naruto waved his hand as he was exhausted from today sparring session. It was an improvement since he'd managed to inflict serious injury on his father even without her help as a distraction. The day where he became victorious under his own power would come soon. Seeing his cute sleeping face, she wanted to lick his cheek and nibble on his ear, but refrained from doing so. She let go of him so he could lie flatly on his back before placing her head onto his chest, feeling the rhythmic heartbeat like she used to while watching his face.

Naruto blinked hazily, feeling the weight. He looked down to see the black-haired naked woman on his chest. Her golden eyes stared at him as his eyes were unfocused. "Another weird dream… Your face is really clearly this time around," he mumbled before yawning. With both hands wrapped around her in a cuddling fashion, he started snoozing with satisfactory smile.

Kuroka stayed like that for a few minutes, memorizing the melody for as long a she could while tears pooled around her eyes. Their time had come to an end.

"You will be a wonderful man one day, Naruto-sama. I only wish I could stay longer," Kuroka whimpered lowly before reluctantly pulling herself up from the bed. She unbundled the child arms around her matured body. She looked at the happily sleeping boy one last time before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek as he mumbled her pet name. It took her longer than she wanted to let go and exited the room out the window.

Standing outside, she noticed the runes around the area were no longer active. "Thank you for everything, Namikaze-sama," Kuroka said as she faced the man by the window side without a shred of clothing on.

Minato scratched his cheek as he stared at the voluptuous figure of the girl before trying his best to lock his eyes on her face. He blinked tiredly a few times as he was also exhausted from the recent sparring session. He want to sleep, but he had to get up once he sensed a powerful surge of foreign demonic energy emanating from somewhere within the house. It only took him a second to pinpoint its location, but he did not wish to intrude on the goodbye.

"That some incredible powers you have there, surpassing even a standard Ultimate Class. No wonder your former master was jealous and wanted to use your sister to keep you in line," Minato complimented before frowning. "I wondered if it was the right thing to do now that I sensed your true strength. But what's done is done, and if it turned out to be a mistake, I will take responsibility and rectify it in any way I can."

Kuroka was about to put his mind at ease, but he waved his hand dismissively. "You don't need to say anything. It has been done so no need to change my mind on it. Shirone's execution had been averted with an old friend's help. His son had taken your sister under his wing to prevent any future assassination, but she is very shaky right now, refusing to talk to anyone. She truly blamed you for what had happened, and going to see her now, nothing good will comes out of it."

"I understand," Kuroka acknowledged. She already knew the union would not go as planned, but she still wanted to see her dearest sister nonetheless. "I will not able to return here again will I?"

Minato sighed as he leaned against the wall at one end of the house. Lightning crackled around his arms as he looked at the ceiling of the cavern they were in. The seal was no longer active. "No. Do you remember what I'd told you? What you are feeling right now will soon pass. My son will forget about the small cat he loved and cherished as all children will grow up one day. The restriction seal around the area has been deactivated for you to leave on your own power. I fear that many upstart devils still trying to find you to enact their vengeance now that your younger sister is safe and untouchable. But with the level of power you have, you will have no trouble repelling them unless some higher up appear. A word of advice, find some allies to watch your back or you will not survive."

Kuroka nodded at the wisdom as she looked through the opened window to the sleeping form of her young master again. The golden bell around her neck jingled when she did. She rubbed the streaming tears from her cheek away as magical circle glowed under her feet. Without another word, she vanished from the area as runes along the earthen wall were activated once more.

"Is this what you truly want, Kushina? She could be a great daughter, you know?" Minato asked as the crimson-haired girl frowned on the opposite wall around the corner, hidden from view. She took at least quarter of an hour to answer her husband.

"Yes."

That was all she had to say before returning back into the house. Minato sighed and teleported into his son's room silently. With a sorrowful expression, he placed his hand on his son's forehead gently. Static electricity crackled across his hand and ran over the boy's body. Soon enough, he left the room and returned to bed with his wife. Neither of them could sleep for the rest of the night as they pondered if they had done the right thing.

Morning arrived as it usually did. Naruto entered the kitchen while having a pulsing headache that he couldn't ignored. "Did one of you whack me over the head last night? If you did, must you use a hammer to do it?"

Neither of his parents answered him as a lot of other stuff went through their minds. Kushina was absentminded as she made breakfast while Minato was staring blankly into space while sipping coffee from an already emptied cup every now and then. Naruto arched a brow, wondering what had happened with them.

"Did something happen last night that I don't know about?" Naruto questioned and got into his seat at one end of the dinner table. He noticed he intentionally left a space open by his side for something, but he didn't know what it was. His mother placed down the burnt breakfast before him with her mind elsewhere. He stared at it before rubbing his eyes and stared at it again to make sure his mother wasn't making a joke. "Umm… Okaa-sama. This isn't editable. You put a bar of soap into this, and I'm not even sure what this green substance on the side is."

"Sorry, Sochi. Let me redo it," Kushina mumbled. She picked up the offending plate and threw it into the trash can. She then returned to making a new one and checked the drawer for another clean plate she threw the one she just had away with the toxic breakfast. She shifted eating utensil around around as they made all sort of clanging sounds.

Naruto rubbed his temple in discomfort when he heard the sound before a bright smile plastered on his face. He turned to look at the doorway, expecting someone to be there. "Kuro-chan, you're finally up?"

Minato and Kushina snapped their eyes when their son said that. The thirteen year old blinked and tilted his head with confusion. "Why did I say that? Who's Kuro-chan?"

**– to be continued –**


	2. Black and White (1)

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**=[Black and White]=  
(1)**

Naruto grunted as he held his head in discomfort. The pulsing pain in his mind took several exceedingly seconds to dissipate, leaving the young blond even more confused since something like what he just felt had never happened before. "Okay! I'm serious now! Who is Kuro-chan, and why does my head hurts so much?"

Minato sighed and pondered if he messed up the technique. He didn't like using it on another person as it was equivalent to brainwashing, but he didn't want his son asking questions he couldn't answer when the cat was no longer around. "Naruto, tell me what do you know about Kuro-chan?"

The thirteen year old rubbed his temple as he stared at his parents on the opposite side of the table. He gave headshake, clearing his mind of all obstructions. "I don't really know exactly. Kuro-chan… I think it's a she and she's black?"

"Kuro means black, silly," Kushina pointed out with a forced giggle while her hand was placed on her husband's shoulder. "I think our son want a girlfriend so he conjured up an imaginary one called Kuro-chan, don't you think so, Minato?"

"Eh!? I don't have imaginary girlfriend!" Naruto growled in embarrassment before a sad expression plastered across his face. He understood why his parents did not want to associate with society and politics, but why did he. They might be contended staying here, but he wouldn't and wanted to see the world that was illustrated in the countless books he'd read. "I don't have… any friends."

Kushina and Minato exchanged gazes before she speak up. "You do have friends, Sochi. We are your parents, but we are also your friends for life. We will always be there for you."

Minato gave a nod in agreement.

Naruto pouted like a child he was. "I mean friends of my age. You have told me countless stories about all your friends during the war. All the memorable and fun things you guy did together side by side while battling enemies. I want stories like that too… so I can tell them to my kids one day!"

He then gave an audible sigh as he was thinking about issues that were beyond his age. "Never mind what I just said. Why does my head hurt though?"

Kushina was formulating a plausible reply, but Minato had beaten her to it. "Do you remember the last sparring session we had yesterday? You managed to hit me several of times. It was painful and because of that, I got lost in the moment and retaliated with my full strength."

With the explanation, Naruto thought for a moment while recalling that piece of memory. It relayed to him vaguely how the fight began when he was all fired up, but not how it had ended. Only blackness filled that part. A logical conclusion would be that he was knocked unconscious sometime during the fight so he gave accepted the fact. "Oh… okay, that actually makes sense. But why did you have to hit me that hard?"

"Now, Naruto, don't blame me. I have warned you that I might seriously injure you one day, but you didn't listen did you?" Minato asked with a smirk. "You wanted a real fight so you got one."

Naruto shrugged and dismissed the headache as something temporary. "Yeah, no pain no gain. I'm going to beat you after breakfast, dad, and I'm going to remove that smirk off your face forever. Just you wait!"

Kushina smiled as her son returned to his cheerful self once more. She cleared her mind from all doubts and plaguing thoughts before making a large healthy breakfast for him.

As soon as Naruto finished the meal and put the plate away, he paused for a prolonged period of time by the sink and pondered something was missing from the morning routine. His father had finished his breakfast as well and readied for another session with full strength.

"Naruto. Why are you just standing there like that? Is there something wrong?" Minato asked after he put the plate away.

Naruto blinked and gave a headshake. "I just thought of…. No, it's probably nothing. Let's go!"

"Wait a sec," Minato called out, stopping his son from teleporting away to a possible battleground. "We will train around the house for today."

"Eh!? But… we might destroy it in the fight?"

"We won't be fighting each other for a while. I think I've neglected to teach you something that should be taught first," Minato claimed while spiking his demonic aura. "Tell me, do I feel different to you?"

Naruto narrowed his blue eyes at the older man. A few seconds later, he scratched his head as he didn't feel anything different. "You looked more exhausted and absentminded than usual? Did mum torture you last night?"

Minato chuckled and called his son to follow him out into the backyard. Kushina returned by the kitchen counter and began washing the dishes. After a few plates, she left the task and the room to sew something in her room to help her son with his inconvenience.

"You didn't notice my energy level has changed at all?" Minato asked while walking. He already knew the answer as his son didn't detect youki from Kuroka in her cat form. When the buxom girl had returned to her original humanoid form with her power was overflowing, Naruto didn't seem to notice it.

"No… did you change it?"

"Yes I did," Minato answered as he turned around to face the child. "We're going to practice sensory ability for the next couple of day, Naruto. It was my mistake to assume that you knew how because you were able to suppress your power. Nevertheless, I was very proud that you figured that out on your own. It is an advance technique that we usually learn when we reached adulthood."

"It was? I thought everyone could do it?" Naruto questioned skeptically. His enormous amount of demonic energy was keep leaking out of him constantly when he didn't. He thought it was a waste and figured out way to suppress and contain it within his body. He felt he had access to a greater amount of energy when he did.

"Not everyone. People with natural talent will learn it automatically without being taught, but most will have to be shown once they reached maturity. **_Suppressing Aura_** allowed us to channel our total energy more efficiently and be less wasteful," Minato pointed out. "You were born with great natural talents even if you didn't think so yourself. Just don't argue with me on that. Combined with your hard work and diligent, I have no doubt that you will surpass me in the very near future."

"Damn straight, I will do it in a month! Believe it."

Minato let out a genuine long laugh. "Alright, I will take that bet. But for now, it is important that you know how to sense your opponent's aura as well as differentiating between different ones. I am a pure blood devil, therefore my aura is demonic. It is the only aura you know of so far, but there are many others. Your mother has something else within her. Even if suppressed greatly, it is there, lighting up like a glowing beacon for anyone to sense. Can you feel the difference among her aura even if she's in the house?"

Naruto tried to do as requested while staring at the outside wall of his home, but he didn't feel anything different from his mother's aura beyond at all. Hers felt like his father's. "Okay, I want to learn how to do it so show me. What is it called?"

"It is called **_Sensory Technique_**. It is the opposite of suppressing your aura," Minato said as he gathered his thought on the matter. The technique came passively to him once he mastered it so he never thought more on it. "It's very simple skill, but difficult to master fully. By letting your aura out to feel the others around you before returning back to you, you can check the differences on the return. Because energy can interact with other energy, your aura can absorb others to supplement their own when you let it out. The trick is absorbing it back in. The aura returned will also carry traces of others, and from inside you, you can determine what kind of species they belong to."

Seeing his son was paying undivided attention to him, Minato continued. "When you become adept at technique, you can use the skill to detect hidden and invisible enemies around you. In a fight, the more they released their power, the easier it is to detect them with the skill, thus you won't lose sight of them."

"Hmmmm…" Naruto hummed as he decoded the information in his mind. "So one is like stealth or when you want your opponent to underestimate you by literally hiding your powers. The other is for seeing through the façade as well as scanning the area around you. Is that why you seem to have eyes in your blind spot?"

Minato chuckled and nodded. "Yes. Once you mastered it sufficiently, attacks where your eyes cannot see can still be detected. Fighting isn't about who can dish out the most damage and end your opponent. There were more to just what you can see around you."

His veteran eyes seemed to sadden. "If it were, then there's no need for strategies or tactics. In the war, many of us had won our fight against our opponent, but lost the battle in the end. Many of my friends had sacrificed themselves for the cause. They might have lost their fight against their opponent, but they had brought us victory with the time they traded for their lives."

"I get it dad. Don't need to reminisce. Distraction is good too. Didn't she distract you a few times so I could hit you?" Naruto asked before frowning. "Okay, maybe that didn't happen."

Minato exhaled deeply, seeing the complication of modifying someone's memory while keeping the linked one intact. "We are getting off topic so let us begin training your sensory ability. First you should try to do…

It didn't take long for Naruto to grasp the concept. At first, he simply released as much power as he could, causing the area to shake heavily under the intense pressure. It appeared doing that was also a technique as his father taught him to focus it at one small area. The intensified pressure created would bring dread to those that immersed within it. It was called **_Killing Intent_**.

"It's useful for knocking out weak opponent that you don't want or bother to fight," Minato explained on the topic. "It doesn't actually kill an opponent even if it was called Killing Intent, but it will cause them to see hallucination of their gruesome death if they were to fight against you. It only work on cowards, but still useful in various ways. Anyway, let's return to the sensory ability. You don't want to overpower the person you trying to sense. Releasing too much will alert them to your location and releasing too little, it won't return back to you to be useful."

"I know… I'm trying to, but I can't concentrate. This headache is really annoying," Naruto cursed as the pain was still there, nudging the back of his mind. Minato tried to figure out the reason why that was the case, and before he could speculate anything, a red-haired devil called out.

"Sochi, come here for a minute," Kushina commanded as her son nodded and teleported directly to her from several meters away. She took out a black headband and wrapped it around her son's forehead before brushing his golden hair back. "How do you feel now? Is the pain still there?"

Naruto rubbed his finger over the soft fabric as he felt the headache went away. "Awesome, now I can concentrate on the technique, mum! I mean Okaa-sama."

Kushina gave a nod, pulling her son's cheek with a heartwarming smile. "It is made of my power so you can use your **_Aura of Incineration_** without burning it off. Keep it with you wherever you go. Promise me?"

"Yeah, I will," Naruto promised. "Alright, I'm going to master the technique in record time!"

With the new gear around his head, he mastered the techniques in matter of weeks as it was more difficult than he'd first thought. He didn't break the record of being the fastest as others had mastered it in days since they were gifted with natural ability to sense others. He was not.

"Are you saying mum is a youkai?" Naruto asked with shock. He always thought his mother was a pureblood devil, thus making him a pureblood. It was not the case, however.

"Yes, that energy you feel from Kaa-san is called youki. Like the name, only those with youkai bloodline or heritage have them," Minato asserted. "As to which one, I don't think you can tell right now since every subspecies radiated different kind of youki. One day in the future, I will bring you to the inner capital of Youkai so you can feel what each one was like. Also, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you have a cousin much younger than you? She's a pureblood youkai; a princess no less."

"I do!? Wow a princess? Is she cute? Can I see her?" Naruto asked hastily before coughing. He was excited that he had another relative he didn't know about. "I mean how come mum never talks about it?"

Minato laughed at his son's change of demeanor. Once the light mood faded away, he looked at his son and patted the boy on the shoulder. "Say, do you know why your last name is Uzumaki instead of Namikaze?"

"Is it because Okaa-sama dominates you in bed? A marriage is only good as one sex life so I get it," Naruto jested and gave a shrug at his father's full blown laughter.

"Oh… hahaha… You got to stop quoting stuff like that, Naruto!" Minato advised, trying to compose himself. "It's true though so I won't deny it, but that's not the real reason. You know that your mother and I is the last member of our respective clan so you are, as our only child, the heir to both. What you don't know is that Namikaze Clan was never numerous with only one or two new decedents once in a while. Before the Great War broke out, Uzumaki Clan – who was loyal to Leviathan Clan – had hundreds of kin. They all perished in the opening volley, leaving her the last surviving member. She despised the tainted bloodline within her and greatly feared that her ancestry would one day be extinct or become diluted beyond recognition."

"So that's why my name called Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto said as his mind worked out what his mother greatest hope and dream was. His father gave him another shoulder pat as a reward.

"I won't let Okaa-sama down, I promised," Naruto vowed, but his father shook his head lightly as he knew that promise likely be broken in the future.

"I know that your mother had told you to never break your promise no matter what, Naruto," Minato admitted. "But you shouldn't make promise you cannot keep."

"No, I will keep them even if it kills me!" Naruto called out adamantly. "I will make mother proud as I am also an Uzumaki!"

"Alright," Minato said, receding for now. There was no way to change his son's mind at the moment so he'd allowed the boy to see the hardship for himself. After all, his son matured and gained experience the quickness with his body. "Let us continue with our training while there are times left. I will be busy with work soon so you will have to train by yourself for a while."

Naruto raised a brow. "What do you mean? You have no job, dad! Isn't that why you went into hiding with mum? You didn't like your old job so you quit right in the middle of it!"

"That's true, but I actually have one now," Minato said sheepishly as he and his wife abandoned the fight toward the end. "It's a small, but important job that only a person with my unique set of skills can do. But enough about that, I will use whatever free time I have left to teach you a technique you had been using without realizing it."

"Can you be more cryptic? A small job, but important? If it's important, why is it called small?" Naruto asked, tightening the headband. "And what you mean teaching me a technique I already know?"

Minato chuckled again as he walked toward the vertical rock wall. He then stepped on it as lightning crackled beneath his feet. He then began walking vertical up as if it was flat ground. He finally stopped at the rocky ceiling of the cavern and looked up at his son.

"Okay, that's pretty awesome," Naruto said as he materialized his bat-like wings and flew up. "It could be useful for spying on people."

"As useful as it may be and unique to our clan, it's not the technique I want to teach you, but it is needed since you lacked controls," Minato clarified. "Your mother's Aura of Incineration… which can be very hot, by the way. Just trust me on that."

Naruto eyed the man weirdly, trying to discern what hidden meaning within. "Okay, whatever does that mean? I don't think I want to know."

Minato waved his hand dismissively as he had blurted out something he shouldn't have. "Let just pretend that I didn't say that."

"I've already forgotten it," Naruto joked before dropping his grin. "What were you saying before it?"

"Right… unlike your mother Aura of Incineration, which you found out by yourself, the **_Aura of Amplification _**must be learnt step by step in order or it will kill the practitioner," Minato hinted ominously. "It is the unique ability of Namikaze clan. Not many can master it. And those that do, the chance of becoming a vegetable is very high because excessive lightning can fry your brain once you became drunk with the power it provided."

Minato sighed deeply. He didn't want to teach his son it yet as it was dangerous to oneself and others. "I didn't want to teach you it, but I think you will figure it out yourself one day. It's better to teach you under my guidance than through trial and error. Many of our ancestors committed suicide on accident by training it out of sheer hubris."

Naruto took in the information while his father detached the ceiling and landed on the floor with a body flip. He landed on the ground as well as his wing vanished. "Okay, I'm amazed at the implication. Teach me the aura!"

"There are three steps to it. The first step is perfect control so this is a control exercise," Minato said as he taught his son about magnetism. Naruto already knew the theory from his study, but this was the first time he tried to do it. "You can walk on wall if you magnetized yourself to the conductive mineral within."

Naruto grunted when his body went smacked against the jagged rocks and become glued to it. Minato was speechless as he tried to help his son out with a pull.

"Lower your power," Minato ordered as the blond did, making him fall down on his back. Naruto groaned in pain as his father looked down at him with a sigh. "Didn't I say this is a control exercise? You need to control your power. Too much, you will be squash against the wall, and too little, it won't work and you fall off."

"Sorry, I'm just too hyped up about it, let me try again!" Naruto said as he tried again. He landed on feet onto the wall as it was magnetized into it by creating a magnetic attraction with the metallic mineral within the earth. He then lifted up another feet up as he felt incredibly heavy. He exhaled, calming himself and began moving each foot one by one up the wall while his father walked alongside of him effortlessly.

"Too much and you feel too heavy to move, and too little and you will fall off," Minato advised as he watched his son practiced control.

Naruto felt his feet weighted several tons each as tried to manage the flow of his power while moving up the wall. It would take a while with the pace he was going, but he was improving greatly which each failure. Days went by before the young blond got the hang of it. Finally he was hanging upside down on the ceiling with a victorious smile on his face. Unfortunately, his father was running around him with little effort, causing him to feel adequate. "I will show you! Believe it!"

"Yes you will. You practice it while I get ready for my job," Minato said with a frown. "How troublesome, to be pulled out of retirement for something like this."

"You haven't told me what job you have, dad! I want to know!"

"It's not important to know but what the heck. There a new group called Khaos Brigade," Minato answered as he vanished in a yellow flash. Naruto snorted at the shitty response as he ran across the ceiling as quickly as he could. Minutes later, his father returned to the same spot, but with a new wearing a new set of clothing. It was a white uniform with high collar and reddish flames around the hemlines.

"Where was I," Minato said. "Oh right, you can equate the Khaos Bridgade to terrorist if it easier to for you to understand what they do. As terrorist, they have been stirring up troubles everywhere on the surface. The group isn't new. They've been around since the conclusion of the Civil War, but they weren't a problem then. It was only recently that the Old Satan Faction, who held a grudge against the current government, pledged their allegiance to them. Many of our own criminals followed suit, swelling up their rank rapidly. This is the first time since ever that we have a problematic criminal organization to contend with."

"So you're saying you're some sort of policemen?"

"Policeman, only me for now since I can literally be everywhere with my teleporting ability," Minato said, pointing out why he was right for the job. He could intercept the Khaos Brigade's action at second of notice. "I'm the only employee as well as leader of the new formed counter terrorist group, the Akatsuki."

"Cool, chasing down criminals," Naruto said as he jumped up from the ceiling before being pulled back onto it again. He found the simply maneuver forced his body to adjust much quicker. "Can I help? I can teleport around too."

"Maybe when you're older," Minato said. "Well, I got to go. There are a lot of criminals to catch and put away. I will teach you the next step when I get back."

The second step of training required Naruto to levitating metallic objects of various shape and placed them on to each other with extreme precision. It was just another control exercise, but he kept messing up when they collapse into a twisted heap. Even so, he kept on trying until he accomplished the task. It took several days to make a castle out of them.

"Now redo it while being blindfold," Minato ordered his son before he went to work again. Every day he returned exhausted and bruised. Seeing that the wounds, Kushina ordered him to quit, but he couldn't since he was doing a fine job of keeping the peace. There was no one else besides those of his clan could teleport around the world in an instant. People joined the group out of curiosity, interest, or obligations, but majority didn't say very long when they saw the death rate. The criminals they hunted down were the worst of the worst with incredible power to boot.

The last and final part was just another control exercise, but this time on a microscopic level. Naruto had to sort out a pile of micro grain into correct clear jars with his power. He couldn't see them individually so he had to feel them. The tedious task took weeks to accomplish, but once accomplish, his father just tell him to do it again as he expected.

Before Naruto realized it, years had passed as he had grown to fine young man of seventeen. Standing before a hug pile of dirt, he waved his hand. The magnetized grains swirled into the air like locust and entered their respective jars within a second. He already knew what Aura of Amplification was without his father telling him the rest since his mind was powered by the same thing. It was fairly obvious once he realized what the billions of microscopic grains symbolized.

Kushina, who looked exactly the same since her son was born, clapped her hands rapidly with pride once she saw the feat. The technique took her husband decades to master the control while her son had done it in years while working on his other techniques as well. "That's good, Sochi. You have mastered the skill in record time. Just wait what your father will say when he returns from his task."

"Is he coming home today? It has been a week since he left, Kaa-sama," Naruto said as he sat down on the bench. "I don't know, but I have some sort of bad feeling about this."

Night came as they waited for Minato to return. As answered while having dinner, Minato teleported into the kitchen and collapsed unmoving on the ground. Both Kushina and Naruto were shocked, dropping everything in their hands as they rushed to his aid. His body was covered in blood as his arms and legs were mangled.

"Tou-sama," Naruto called out in fear. He immediately used the newly mastered ability to heal his father. It was enough to keep the patient alive. "Just hang on dad, you will be fine. Don't give up."

"Kushina," Minato said weakly, raising his bloodstained hand into the air. "I'm sorry I didn't heed your advice when you tell me to quit, but I truly want to help even if a little. But after these past years, I wondered if I actually make a difference at all."

"Don't say that, you put a lot of criminals away so they can't hurt others anymore," Kushina encouraged, wrapping her hand around her husband ones tightly while Naruto helped her husband passed the critical period. Both son and mother then helped Minato into a comfortable bed for much needed rest.

"What happened, dad?" Naruto asked once his father's condition had stabilized hours later.

"It seems like you have mastered the technique without me here," Minato said before Naruto assured that he was still young and had much to learn. "No, you don't need to say that, Naruto. You have surpassed me long ago, and I'm proud of you for doing so. You have grown and are your own man now. There is nothing else I can teach you."

"Tou-sama, no matter how old I am, I will always be your son," Naruto said heartedly while his mother caressed his father's face lovingly by his side. "Please tell me what has happened! For you to be like this, your opponent must be someone very strong isn't he?"

"Opponent…? The leader of the Khaos Brigade has shown herself, but I didn't expect who she was… the strongest existence. To her, it wasn't a fight, just mere inconvenience while she takes what she wanted," Minato said depressingly. "The Headquarter is destroyed in the assault, and all the criminals I've locked away took the opportunity to escape. Everything I have accomplished in the last years was undone in a single day. I guess no matter how much I tried, I can't make a different. Not then, not now."

"No, you made a different to me, dad," Naruto assured as he gripped the man's robe tightly. His eyes filled with determination while he said that. Minutes later, he stood up from the bedside. "I won't let your work be for nothing."

"Sochi, where are you going?" Kushina asked as her son walked toward the door. Naruto cocked his head over his shoulder to see his mother. She understood his reason and gave a nod of approval. Maybe it was time for her son to see the world for himself. It was not black and white or filled with vibrant color like illustrated on those pages inside the library.

**XxXxX**

"Please let me go," the mid-class devil beseeched desperately as he ran out of room to run.

Cornering the escapee was an impassive blond wearing a high collared white robe with reddish clouds patterns. A headband was wrapped tightly around his forehead while its ends were flustering against whatever breeze that passed by. His onyx gauntleted left arm was lift just before his head while the blue gem at the back glowed brightly. A hologram display was connected to the magical jewel as he pressed some adjacent buttons to shift the visuals boxes around in front of him.

"I cannot do something like that," Naruto answered while checking the displayed information. "Laron Exacel, A-class criminal with 12 felonies noted with 3 unconfirmed. You have allied yourself with the terrorist organization known as the Khaos Brigade and committed numerous despicable acts against the government and your own people. You must return to Cocytus Fortress Prison to carry out your sentence until such time you are fully rehabilitated. Refusing to comply will result in your immediate execution."

"No, I was only acting under orders. I'm a no body! You want those guys higher up. They're the one responsible," Laron protested as Naruto narrowed his blue eyes. Everyone paraphrased the same thing when he chased them down as it was his task. There were endless supplies of criminals to catch so he didn't have time for another pointless debate of whom responsible for what.

"So execution it is then?" Naruto questioned as he raised his right hand toward the man. "It's better than wasting limited resources to keep you alive. If it was up to me, I would just kill each one I come across without reading your right."

"Wait…" Laron called out, putting his hands up in defends. "Killing me means nothing. A lot others will take my place. You want the one who gives the orders, right? Will you let me go if I tell you who it was?"

Naruto paused for a second while his mind thought on the matter. The man was right, no matter how many he successfully hunted down, others filled their positions. Taking down those of higher up was more efficient, but they were very elusive. "Tell who gave you the orders to kill those people?"

"Okay… okay… Lucifuge ordered me to do that, it's –

Laron screamed in pain as powerful sphere of flames crashed into him. The destructive energy expanded and enveloped his body entirely before soaring into the sky in a fiery pillar.

Naruto collapsed his right hand as the torrent of fire swirled into a small ball and dissipated, leaving behind ashen remains as it was scattered to the wind.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? If you're going snitch on someone then snitch on someone more believable you dumbass!" Naruto said as he pressed a button on the device that was wrapped around his left arm and wrist. The magical gadget was created by Chief Advisor for the Technology Department to help him keep plethora of information organized. With the button pressed, a red cross covered over the man's photo before the panel miniaturized, joining hundreds of other red crosses in the background.

Naruto thought for himself alone for a few minutes before checking the profile of the only surviving Lucifuge he had inputted. A beautiful woman with silver-haired and matching pair of eyes was illustrated on the hologram. "Grayfia Lucifuge, Maid (wife) of Sirzechs Lucifer, Devoted Mother of Millicas Gremory."

"Hair, silver. Eyes, silver. Height, 174 cm. Three sizes, (classified)," Naruto mumbled and pondered if he should add her three sizes or not. It would be awkward if anyone found out and questioned him about how he knew them. "Status, Alive. Class, Ultimate (high). Rank, Queen. Weapon, (unknown)."

Skipping the web of known relatives with plenty of names crossed out as they were all deceased, Naruto reached the known affiliation listing. Ignoring the pointless ones that was there for laugh, he focused on the legit and important one.

"Old Satan Faction – Defected?" Naruto said before rubbing his chin in thought at the question mark next to the last word. It was there because she was still under suspicions from other high-ranking devils that supported his organization. "No, I should check her out myself."

Naruto pressed some button on the console as the line changed to "Old Satan Faction – (unknown)"

With a crimson flash, he materialized in front of the Gremory Household a fraction of second later. It had been a while since he'd been here. After knocking on the door several times, he waited patiently as a maid opened it.

"Hello, Lucifuge-sama," Naruto greeted.

"Uzumaki-sama," Grayfia returned the greeting politely before letting out a worrisome sigh. She then lowered her voice so other would not hear. "If you are here then my master must have done something wrong. Can you please let him off this time around?"

"Hey! I didn't do anything this time. I was home all day," Sirzechs called out from behind his maid. He then approached the door to greet the blond. "Naruto-kun, are you on business? Whatever it was, I didn't do it."

"Pardon for the intrusion, Lucifer-sama," Naruto greeted the top ranking Satan. "Fortunately, I am not here for you… at least not today. I am here for your wife."

"I am not his wife, Uzumaki-sama," Grayfia denied flatly.

Naruto sighed at the statement made by Grayfia Lucifuge since he heard it plenty of time before. It was strange that she keep denying it when someone called her that even though she was married and had a kid with the crimson-haired laidback Satan.

"Hahahaha, that's a good joke, Naruto-kun," Sirzechs called out. "So what did she do? Destroyed a few houses while she was drunk? Can she claim intoxication?"

"It's not a joke, Lucifer-sama," Naruto clarified with a completely blank expression. "I'm here to arrest her on suspicion of treason. I suggest she come with me to Cocytus in order to clear her name."

Hearing that, Sirzechs was no longer amused. "Under whose authority?"

"Akatsuki," Naruto said calmly as he replayed the message he recorded of the accusation on with the hand gadget. "The organization was established to counter Khaos Brigade's movement. After the destruction of the original Headquarter and the entire massacre of the entire garrison due to traitors, we were granted the power to prosecute anyone relating to any terrorist activities regardless of status and ranking. You and your wife included, Lucifer-sama."

"You don't believe what he said do you, Naruto-kun," Sirzechs asked. He didn't know why the criminal was accusing his wife.

"I am only an enforcer so my opinion don't matter the slightest. Even if it did, you already know what I believed," Naruto answered calmly and truthfully. "If Lucifuge-sama is innocent, she will be clear of the charges and return to you, relatively unharmed. If I am wrong and she found to be guilty, she will be incarcerated until her execution. The law is the law, and if you wish to change it, you should call a meeting with the present of all three Satans and every Pillar Lords."

Sirzechs frowned as calling the meeting will take a lot of time while his wife lost her freedom in Cocytus Fortress Prison, being interrogated like some common criminal. "I can't just let you take my… wife like that, Naruto-kun. How about we fight for it?"

"It's pointless, Lucifer-sama. You will lose and Lucifuge-sama will still be arrested. The only thing you gain from the battle is hurting yourself," Naruto said confidently.

"How do you know you can beat me, Naruto-kun? I'm a Satan, you know."

Grayfia already knew the answer. For Naruto to actually lose, her husband must kill him, but he won't do something like that. Naruto would not back down until his task was completed. Furthermore, no one really knew how strong the he was since those that resisted arrest only met one end. She was also curious to why the criminal had given her clan name in his last moment. She knew she was the last surviving member of her clan, which served the old Lucifer during the civil war. Many high ranking devils still did not trust her when she switched allegiance then. It was to be expected.

"It's not necessary to go head to head with Akatsuki for my sake, Lucifer-sama. They are military police and they have been doing a successful job of keeping the peace. If I'm accused of treason then there must be some basis to it. I will go with Uzumaki-sama to clear my name. I will be fine because I am innocent. Do you not trust my allegiance, husband?"

It was groundless accusation in his mind, but the Naruto probably want to use the opportunity to put all doubt to rest. Dejected, Sirzechs allowed her to go since he couldn't enter the fortress between the underworld and the realm of the dead without a proper cause. It was built there for a reason after what happened to the first prison. "Naruto-kun. If you made up some stupid charges against my wife, I'm going to wipe the fortress off the map!"

"You can try, but don't expect me to just stand by while you do it," Naruto said with a shrug since it won't come to that. He then offered a hand to the silver-haired maid. Grayfia took it and they both vanished in a crimson flash, leaving the frowning Satan behind.

**– to be continued –**


	3. Black and White (2)

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**=[Black and White]=  
(2)**

It was the first time she stepped on the cobblestoned floor the fortress since its creation several months ago. No one, devils or angels alike, in their right mind would want to visit such a place unless they had a reason to. This was mostly due to its location, situated at the boundary of the Underworld, governed by her husband, and the Realm of the Dead, governed by Hades, a God. Numerous dangerous monsters from both realms, rivaling Ultimate Class, lurked in the shadow of the arid mountainous landscape surrounding the prison.

The enormous complex stood uncontested amidst predators. Its unyielding presence alone radiated enough deadly pressure to keep the mindless beasts at bay while countless glowing seals were placed in the vicinity to prevent unauthorized teleportation, whether from or to, making any attempt at escaping incredibly risky. Seeing it clearly for herself, Grayfia Lucifuge had enough idea to the strength of those that belong to the organization.

Akatsuki weren't as numerous during the time when Minato Namikaze had led it. With the former base destroyed during the siege and a new promoted commander, the total membership was reduced to a mere handful. From then onward, Akatsuki only answered to their leader, Naruto Uzumaki, or co-leader if he was incapacitated. The idea was to prevent any high-ranking devils using them for his or her gains, thus granting them the capacity to arrest those they deemed a threat. With the co-leader, former heiress of Glasya-Labolas, sister to Falbium Asmodeus – one of the four Satans – a mutual understand with the military was formed.

It was an unprecedented growth in military and political power in such a short amount of time.

Passing by the window alongside the hallway with the leader of Akatsuki, Grayfia saw a couple of people standing on the rooftop of the central building. Formal members, she immediately surmised from their standard outfit, which was simply a high collar white coat with crimson clouds pattern. They wore the required robe over their normal clothing.

Grayfia stopped by the view to examine the young black-haired girl in a milky white business suit, aiming an elaborated long rifle at the sky while a young man with black raven hair style stood readied by her side. Both of their eyes were crimson red like fresh blood that was recently spilled. Naruto also stopped by the window side and watched them since he was in no hurry to meet with Wardens.

"You've never met them before have you? They are members of Akatsuki," Naruto told Grayfia even though she did not ask. "There are only eleven of us, forming six teams in total. Those two made up a team we called the Sentinel."

"Sentinel?" Grayfia asked with curiosity.

"It just a codename we give to each other, but it is true to the primary task each team has. Those two watched over the fortress to prevent any surprise attack like an unmoving sentinel. With their gifted eyes, they can see very fast moving targets at extreme distances. She excelled in anti-air and he excelled in anti-ground, making their ability complimented each other," Naruto explained before the heavy gun in the girl's hands fired rapidly into the sky. Dozens of shot were sent forth in the fraction of a second that had passed.

Grayfia and Naruto looked skyward and saw tiny targets in the distance being bombarded by the barrage of magical bullets. Each one hit its mark, but produced no fatal wound while the girl smirked sadistically at the accomplishment. She then dropped the heavy weapon before two tommy guns was pulled out from her body as if her body was made of reddish liquid.

The hundreds of hellish gargoyles, came from the Realm of the Dead, were screeching while swooping down at their attackers. Many were being shredded in the incoming hail of glowing bullets while they dived toward the earth. Ecstatically shrieking overwhelmed the gunfire at the splatter of greenish blood, raining down upon the sky, painting the building in an eerie color.

The black-haired boy on her side remained perfectly calmed as he watched the firework of blood. More than a few gargoyles managed to evade fully and were about to rip their attackers apparently. Sadly for them, an armored astral entity enveloped the boy and girl, protected the couple from the incoming sharp claws. Like a puppet on string, the titanic entity imitated the boy's movement with each of its four astral blades, turning the nearby creatures into fine mesh.

"Is there a reason for doing that?" Grayfia asked, seeing the one side slaughter by the two while Naruto gave a dismissive shrug.

"It happens every now and then. Those flying monkeys came from Realm of the Dead. If they die, where do you think their spirits return to for another round?" Naruto questioned skeptically. He had an idea why they kept coming. Hades was likely furious at him for freeing one of the most prized possession from its binding and enlisting it under his command.

Grayfia understood what the blond was hinting. "Uzumaki-sama. Have you managed to anger one of the trinity Gods?"

"What? … I didn't want to, but I couldn't just stand there and let him destroy this place," Naruto said and gave a long sigh. It wasn't his fault since he was annoyed at Hades for calling devils were an unnecessary race that should be erased from existence. "He sends in **_Samael_**, the Dragon Eater, to attack us, but **_Hidan_**, an undead grim reaper, made it his bitch while we kill off the rest of his forces. Hades is holding a grudge ever since for taking one of his best troops as our own. Every few days, his underling comes here to create havoc. They can try though."

"Seems like the show is over so let's go," Naruto added. The girl with the guns began attracting all the blood splattered around the buildings toward her.

Grayfia nodded and followed him down the hallway, passing by many jail cells on either side. Glowing runes were carved into the iron bars and inner walls. They'd restricted their prisoner from using any form of power as well as blocking any sounds. She could see some of the prisoners were shouting at her, but no words could be heard from her end. It was surprising to learn there were so many people being imprisoned.

"Huh… You seem surprise, Grayfia… Pardon me, Lucifuge-sama," Naruto questioned when he noticed her expression. "It is a fortress prison so you should expect it to house large amount of prisoners. These are actually light offenders in need of some alone time to think. They will remain in their respective cell until someone comes to pick them up. We had notified the people they knew when we arrested them, but usually their relatives just leave them here for a while."

"What if nobody came to pick them up?"

"After the first few prisoners we had, you should already know the answer. The rumors circulating about our methods are true. We don't feed these kinds of prisoners since it's a waste of the limited resource we have, so if their family failed to collect them in time then they should call for a funeral instead. I… we've told them times and times again that we don't feed anything beside water and the longer they were left here, the chance of dying by starvation increases. But stupidly, they think we were joking," Naruto pointed out while rolling his eyes. After a first few times, everyone began to take him seriously. His father might have been lenience in the past, but he wasn't.

Grayfia remembered some of the released were ghastly malnourished when left alone too long. They all became frightening fearful of being locked up in Cocytus again. The dreadful experience they shared with their friends afterward might have been exaggerated, but it was enough to scare others, making the prison she now standing in a notorious place in only a couple of months.

Naruto continued. "It is designed to lock serious offenders away for a long period of time. How long depends on the severity of their crimes upon arrest. Most of them are sealed forever until something else comes up. When they are in such a suspended state, we don't need to feed them so we rarely stock up on supply, only enough for ourselves. The ones that committed crimes such as genocide will be executed at a given time. Their clan might also be eradicated to prevent future uprising, but that's only in an extreme case."

Grayfia became worried at the revealed knowledge. How the prison was run should be kept a secret in her mind. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

Naruto chuckled and dismissed her concern. "Don't worry, Lucifuge-sama. Even if I've told your husband that I'm arresting you under the accusation of treason, it was just for show. There are eyes and ears everywhere, and in my opinion, I don't think you have anything to do with it. This is just a formality to put those suspicious few to rest. But it's not to say that I'm not curious as to why he'd said Lucifuge was the one behind those attacks. He should have known accusing someone of your status was stupid."

"Thank you for trusting me, but I am also in the dark," Grayfia claimed as her eyes softened. "I'm the last surviving member of my clan, and Lucifer-sama had allowed me to keep the name in honor of my parents when we were united instead of enforcing the Gremory name like tradition dictated. Because of his kindness, he'd lost some standing among the high Lords."

"Hmmm… that sounded like him," Naruto said with a wide grin. "Lucifer-sama has always been a laidback person and does whatever he wants. Just recently, I heard he broke off Riser Phenex and Rias Gremory's engagement just because he didn't like the guy. He did it during the engagement party and right in front of everyone too."

Grayfia formed a smile at how the story had changed with every retelling. She knew her husband would do his best to cancel the engagement even if Issei failed at his task. The red Satan couldn't stand by and do nothing as it was not his nature. In truth, magical contracts and bindings were sacred in their society, and if Riser did not agree to fight Issei again, he might have eradicated the contract himself. "If you have heard the story, why didn't you do anything?"

"Which version are you referring to? The one with Riser fights Lucifer? Wouldn't that be a sight? Meh, no one at the party has requested an intervention so I didn't feel like doing anything at the time," Naruto answered with a smile. "We were created to counter the Khaos Brigade, not to run around to prevent domestic dispute. I don't think anyone would go up against Lucifer at the time to call him out, and I had more important thing to do than locking up a Satan."

Naruto then gave a weary sigh before approaching a jail cell near the end of the hall. He had noticed a familiar aura when he was moving down the corridor. "Speaking of a Satan getting locked up, why are you in here again, Sera-chan?"

Hearing someone addressing her from within her cell, Serafall got up from the bed and approached the bar to see the blond and a shocked Grayfia. She was yelling something inaudible while banging on the bar with her hands before the resulting magical lightning shocked her. She sulked and rubbed her limbs in discomfort.

Naruto rolled his eyes and disabled the muting seal so she could talk freely. "You can speak now and stop touching the bars unless you want to get shock again."

"Naru-tan, can you please let me out. Es-tan is scary! She was the one who put me back in here," Serafall begged while getting shocked by accidently touching the bars again. She then fumed because she couldn't use her magic while inside the cell. The enclosed walls were carved with glowing seals, designed to restrain God-class prisoners. There was no way she could overpower them.

"You didn't answer my question," Naruto replied flatly. "Why are you in here again? You were jailed for trying to set off every trap around the area. I spent a lot of time to put them up too… making me redo them. I told you to go home when I let you out this morning. Did you come back to try set them off again?"

Serafall bit her lip at the statement. It wasn't exactly true. She was having a bet with someone, who ran off when she was caught. If she wasn't, she would be rewarded with new set of magical tools to go with her line of outfits.

"I… I wanted to see your room… but Es-tan found me snooping around," Serafall mumbled lowly while fidgeting her pinkish magical attire. Her star-shaped staff was not around since it was confiscated even though it was not a weapon. "I left through the window, but Loli-tan shot my wings even when I told her to stop. Es-tan then grabbed me when I fell to the ground! Why are all your peerages so mean! I'm a Satan and they attacked me! That's treason! Arrest them!"

Grayfia had no ideas who were Es-tan and Loli-tan since the twin-haired Satan abbreviated names into a cuter version. Out of the four rulers, Serafall Leviathan was the easier to speak with due her cheerful and outgoing nature. It was also the reason why she was tasked with foreign affairs.

Naruto rubbed his head in annoyance. "Didn't I warn you that this fortress is a no flight zone? Loli-chan will shoot anyone down including me, her freaking King, before laughing about it. Tsk… I think I will let you out when your sister comes and pick you up since you likely going to do something that gets you locked up again. It's still morning on a school day in the human world. Just be good and stay here for the next few hours."

Serafall was shocked in mind and body as Naruto walked away from the bar with Grayfia. "Wahhhh? Buuuuut!? Please come back, Naru-tannnnnn! Let me out! I want to go home!"

"Who are Es-tan and Loli… chan, Uzumaki-sama?" Grayfia asked after they entered a hallway at an upper level. Unlike the lower levels, this corridor was furnished with velvet carpet while stone ornaments placed along the walls.

"They are my peerages," Naruto answered. "I have four in total with only one piece left. It just didn't feel right using that one."

"Anyway, the **_Knight_**, Lolicard… actually his name is Alucard, but everyone just called him Lolicard because of his preferred form," Naruto continued with a sigh. "He was betrayed by his kinds due to the nature of his power. They bounded him with holy chains and placed him inside an iron coffin before burying him deep underground. I found him when I was digging up the foundation for the building. Long story short, when I released him on accident, he tried to drink my blood in order to recuperate his supernatural power. I didn't like that so I beat him up, but after learning his story, I gave him some blood so he can go home. He then… called me master in a weird way. As for the girl thing…"

_"I'm not interest in guys. Go away you weirdo!" Naruto told Alucard off, but the man smirked and laughed manically. Seconds later, he shape shifted into a small girl with crimson red eyes._

"I'm not sure why he takes that form. As for the other one, Es-tan is short for Esdese. You should already know who she is from the name. How many people called Esdese are there?"

Grayfia was mumbling before her eyes widened. "You mean she's Esdese Glasya-Labolas, stepsister of Asmodeus-sama? Why is a high ranking General, a King in her own right, in your peerage, Uzumaki-sama?"

"Hmm… I needed the military support when I was starting to rebuild Akatsuki," Naruto said as he stopped at an important door in the middle of the hall. Within were the Wardens of the Prison. "Falbium Asmodeus was snoozing at the time so I couldn't talk to him without abruptly waking him up. His sister was in charge in his stead so I talked to her. She told me she will only help if I could beat her in a one on one fight. It was to prove that I'm strong enough to deserve her support. I refused at first since it was stupid, but she keeps throwing in a lot of other kinky stuffs in the bargain so I beat her up before it gets too weird. Now she's my **_Bishop_**. Asmodeus-sama was surprised when he woke up, but he made nothing of it in the end and went back to sleep after signing an agreement."

Grayfia couldn't help but smiled how things had turned out. Esdese, who was raised in the military by her father and brothers, loved to fight and despised anyone who was weak in her eyes, crippling or killing them without a shred of remorse. Those were strong enough to fight her gained her respect while those bested her in a one on one battle, she would follow with unquestioning loyalty. The only reason she wasn't a Satan was due to her sadistic nature and the tendency of leaving a trail of gruesome bodies.

"I think Es-chan doesn't like Sera-chan much because she used Ice magic," Naruto theorized before sweat dropped. "And probably because she got passed over when Lucifer-sama checked who should be promoted to Leviathan. Yeah I think that reason is more likely. I should let Sera-chan go before she gets tortured… hmm…?"

"It is a wise decision," Grayfia added her opinion as he opened the door to the room.

It was impressive large inside, filled with cabinet and two occupied administration desk at the other end end from the door. To one side standing by the table, a bended over woman with blue long hair and same colored eyes was stabbing a pile of paper with a bloody stamp while adorning military apparel with long sleeves and a matching cap. To the opposite side of the room was a straight red-haired man looking thoughtful as he read through the pile of reports. He would have a perfect view of her rear due to her short skirt if he simply just looked up from the notes.

"Must kill paperwork," Esdese cursed lowly with a maniacal expression while Grayfia wondered if the stamp were imprint with real blood.

Naruto coughed to get their attention. Esdese had a glance at them before returning to stabbing the pile of paper and letting a few of pieces gliding off the table and across the floor. Nagato, on the other hand, placed the notebook onto the desk and turned his head slowly toward the blond. His eyes were completely covered by his hair, hiding the ringed patterns they had.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to who she is?" Nagato asked with a smile.

"Ohhh? I'm shocked that you don't know who she is. I thought you knew everybody," Naruto retorted before Grayfia could introduced herself.

Naruto remained suspicious of Nagato, who appeared out of nowhere with four others in tow once the prison was up and running. The levitating cripple requested humbly and respectfully to join the organization. He then demonstrated his immersed strength by blocking one Esdese's unrestrained fist strike with a simple hand gesture. The feat immediately earned her respect and support, causing Naruto to reluctantly accept the man and his allies into the group. Among them was a strange seven years old golden-haired with golden eyes. She became incredibly attached to Naruto, calling him onii-sama.

"I know who she is, but it is customary to greet each other for the first time," Nagato said before paying attention to the silver-haired maid. "Lucifuge-san. I am surprised to see the wife of the red Satan in person. My name is Nagato and that girl over there is Esdese. She will be with you in a moment… or two."

Grayfia returned the greeting with a courteous bow, but Esdese remained occupied.

"Why did you bring her here?" Nagato asked. "And what happened to the one you were chasing?"

"Dead," Naruto said and exhaled deeply. "I got annoyed so I turned him into ash. I gave him a choice, but he didn't choose the right one."

"That will not do. We are paid to capture them, not kill them. If we were to kill everyone we came across, we would not able to gather intelligence on the movement of the Brigade," Nagato responded disapprovingly.

"Right? When was the last time I got paid?" Naruto questioned a shrug before he patted his emptied pocket. "Also, we're getting very low on supply so we need to stock up."

"Sorry. Can't do either of that right now," Nagato pointed out with a frown. "Someone has raided the vault. It's hard to catch the culprit, considering his ability to pass through solid walls unhindered. Once he has his fun, he will return them all… I hope."

As if it was a cue, the room filled with eerie atmosphere. Esdese stopped stabbing the paper and shivered lightly while Naruto fidgeting his fingers uncontrollably. Nagato waited patiently by his desk while Grayfia looked around and pondered why everyone had stopped conversing.

"Tobi have exchanged them for shiny objects, here they are, tada," said a masked boy as he phased up through the ground in a creepy manner. The attire he adorned showed he was a formal member, but only Grayfia seemed to pay any attention to him. The child looked at her before dropping several solid gold bars onto the floor and retreating back where he came from through below.

"I hate it when he does that," Naruto mumbled as Nagato nodded in agreement. Esdese returned to her seat once her frustration with the workload had died down. She wanted to torture prisoners for information instead of being cooped up in the room, but sadly, there were no one she could interrogate without creating problems for her master.

None of the three Akatsuki's members in the room bothered picking up the gold bars so Grayfia took the initiative. She was surprised to see her fingers passed through them as if they were an illusion.

"Don't bother, Lucifuge-sama," Naruto advised when he saw her second attempt. "As they are right now, no one can pick them up besides Tobi."

"I apologized for his ghastly entrance. He's a very unique boy," Nagato said with a nod. "He can shift anything into an adjacent dimension, making them intangible to everyone but him like those gold bars over there. They will return back to normal space in a few minutes. I'll have to exchange it to an actual currency we can use. I hope there is no loss in inflation."

"Unique. He's an annoying brat," Esdese spoke up. "He displaced a large section of floor outside the room this morning. I fell through all the way to the basement! When he becomes solid again, I will kill him."

"So he's going to die at dinner then?" Naruto asked since Tobi needed to be tangible to eat so it was a good time to strike. Esdese was determined to teach the boy a lesson while Nagato was pondering how to bury a devil ghost hybrid if he actually was killed. Grayfia was picking up the scattered paper around the floor and placed them back on the table in a pile before standing idle by the wall. She was behaving like their personal maid as they all stared at her afterward.

"Why is she here again?" Nagato asked before Naruto showed him the footage from the device on his left hand and explained the reason to why she was here.

"Great. I was getting bored with these paper works," Esdese said and stood up from her seat. She fixed her cap while sending a sharp expression at stoic maid. She then pushed Grayfia out of the door forcibly and down the hall to an interrogation room.

When the two girls were gone, Naruto sat down on a free seat by Nagato's desk. "There is another Lucifuge running around and he's in league with Khaos Brigade."

"Most likely Euclid Lucifuge," Nagato replied flatly. "She did not know that her younger brother is still alive, but likely has an idea when she saw the recording. Family ties are among the strongest. If we capture Euclid, we will have to execute him. There might be conflict of interest if we do."

Naruto yawned and scratched his head before tightening the black headband. It wasn't as effective as before as something was scratching at the back of his mind, trying to break free. "There's no conflict here. Euclid has allied himself with the Khaos Brigade. That's labeled him as a target to eliminate. If she tries to save him, she will be dealt with."

"That's cold, isn't she your friend?"

"Friends… I don't have any friends," Naruto said. "It's better that way."

"What are we to you then?"

"Strangers with a mutual goal," Naruto answered dryly, eyeing the person his mother had told him to trust. He admitted that without Nagato and his allies to help him, the task of capturing all the escapees would take much longer. "Not really. I want to stop the Khaos Brigade and you want to achieve world peace… probably. Heh… stopping them will work toward that peace. Isn't that why you join me?"

Nagato stared at the blond briefly before giving a confirmed nod.

"Oh before I forget, where's the communicator? I need to contact with Kuoh Academy so someone can pick up Sera-chan," Naruto said.

"Pink Satan? It's not necessary. I've already took the liberty of telling her sister when she was locked up by Esdese," Nagato revealed. "Esdese wants to torture the girl, but thankfully it slipped her mind. I do hope Grayfia will be fine after the interrogation."

"She will be fine," Naruto said since he already factored in what Esdese would do. "I didn't stop Es-chan before because she wouldn't kill those she deemed strong. She's strange that way and I did tell Sirzechs that I will bring his wife back relatively unharmed. Just conjure up a report to satisfy the ones that have nothing better to do than accuse each other."

"Conjure up? You make it sounds like magic," Nagato snorted while Naruto access Grayfia's information on his gauntlet. He removed the suspicion he'd placed on her allegiance before viewing all the captured and terminated targets. They numbered in the hundreds, filling the display.

"Cornering these underlings produces no results, another one just takes their place," Naruto said with a frown. "We need to capture someone higher up in the chain of command in order to know where their damn base actually located. If we have the location, we can wipe them all out with one clean strike."

"It won't be that easy," Nagato replied thoughtfully. "We're not even sure if your **_Rook_** will be effective against a Dragon God. In addition, the Khaos Brigade has many factions within their hierarchy so cutting the head off might not stop the rest. Old Satan Faction is the most numerous, but I am more worried about the Heroes Faction. It's composed entirely of Sacred Gear, Enchanted Weapon and Longinus users, making them the most dangerous one we know of."

"Damn it. Why did we let them gain that much strength?" Naruto questioned with annoyance. He wasn't referring to Akatsuki, but the whole race as general. He then had a thoughtful expression as his **_Pawn_** entered his mind. "Sacred Gear and Longinus… Sh –

"Drop the thought right now," Nagato ordered sternly, cutting off the statement. "She isn't a weapon. While she will do what you ask of her, she is only a child and shouldn't be used like that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Naruto mumbled as he dropped the thought immediately. He flicked through the information on the display, trying to find someone that could be capture easily.

Naruto stopped scrolling through the list of wanted criminal until reaching a black-haired girl with a pair of golden eyes. Seeing her face, he rubbed his temple as the throbbing headache intensified.

"Are you looking at the SS-Class one again?" Nagato asked.

"Yeah, it happens every time I checked this nekomata. I'm not sure why though," Naruto answred, shaking his head in irritation. "Maybe my mind is telling me there is something out of place so I should check her out? If only I knew where she is."

"She's a nekoshou, a special variant of nekomata," Nagato corrected before pausing. "It's not that hard to find her. Just stake out a family member and she will show up eventually. Criminals like to stalk those they knew whenever they are not on the run."

"Yeah they do, don't they?" Naruto asked as he tapped a few buttons around the blue jewel on the gauntlet. After checking the new information, he gave a shrug. "Well, it was worth a shot; her known family members are all deceased. Funny, her sister name literally means White Sound."

Nagato raised his brow, but it was obscured by his red hair.

"Huh…that's a strange coincidence," Naruto mumbled as he thought about his pawn piece. "Now that I think about it, her name means white so–

Nagato cut the blond off. "Are you sure? Kuroka's sister, Koneko Toujou, is dead?"

"Huh? She has two sisters?"

"No, she has one. Koneko's birth name is Shirone," Nagato said as he hovered out of his seat and floated toward a file cabinet. He pulled out a needed folder before floating back to his seat. "You need to update the information in that device, and I've been meaning to modernize our filing system. It keeps slipping my mind since I like the feeling of paper on my fingers very much. It reminds me of a person I used to know. While I'm looking through this, can you check on those gold bars?"

Naruto nodded, wondering how Nagato knew Koneko's original name from the top of his head. He brought back the gold bars and placed them on the table while Nagato read through the information he found.

"Koneko Toujou. Low-Class. White hair, golden eyes. About 140 cm high, B6?-W5?-H7? cm. When did we keep such lecherous data?"

Naruto whistled as Nagato eyed him suspiciously. Ever since the reorganization of Akatsuki, every devil in the underworld must be kept on record in case of emergency. Many of them refused it so their information had to acquire through alternated and questionable means.

The red-hair man then returned to scanning through the pages. "… It appears she was supposed to be executed years ago to prevent a repeat of her sister, but Sirzechs Lucifer abused his power to keep her safe for an unspecified reason. She was left to Rias Gremory's care before becoming a Rook under the latter's peerage. Currently, the girl attends Kuoh Academy as a first year student."

"Oh? I didn't know that, let me see," Naruto requested and took the notes from Nagato. He read through the pages for himself before frowning. "Hmmm… the description is vague about what she crime she has committed other than being a relative."

"Remember it was before the formation of Akatsuki so the prosecution was done by those holding a grudge. She was only ten at the time. At the age, I don't think she did anything that warrants her execution. Are you going to find a reason to arrest her?"

"What… no. I got better thing to do than chasing after some kid," Naruto retorted.

"You're forgetting that you, yourself, are a kid," Nagato pointed out flatly. "That also reminds me, there is an upcoming Young Devils Gathering in a couple of days. You can use the time to get to know your potential rivals."

"Stop with the joke," Naruto snorted at the idea of rivals. "Es-chan is already a high Ultimate Class when she was King, she can solo every one of these potential rivals in a rating game. It is an overkill to have Loli-chan helps her. I'm not going to bother adding Samael to the mix. The one side slaughter wouldn't last a minute and that with me just sitting back and let the clock runs out. I could end the battle in an instant if I'm impatient enough."

"Nevertheless, you should attend the gathering," Nagato advised. "It will be a good experience for you to acquaint yourself with any rising celebrity among your generation."

"You sounded like my dad," Naruto said. "You have been talking to him haven't you?"

Nagato chuckled before the door to the room was opened again. Grayfia, who appeared to be perfectly fine, returned with Esdese by her side.

"Master, how can you accuse Grayfia-nee of being associated with our enemies!?" Esdese asked loudly while slamming her palms on the table right between the two men. The battle hardened high ranking General, who spent most of her life torturing enemies for fun, glared angrily at Naruto. "I refuse to believe someone who knows how to love like that could be a terrorist!"

"What the hell?" Naruto questioned after seeing the seriousness on the girl's face. He then tiled his seat back and looked accusingly at Grayfia. "Did you brainwash my Bishop during the interrogation, Lucifuge-sama?"

**– to be continued –**


	4. Black and White (3)

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**=[Black and White]=  
(3)**

"You have my thanks, Esdese-san, but shouldn't you be getting back to Cocytus?" The crimson-haired man asked curiously after his wife, doubled up as a loyal maid, returned with an extra guest.

Grayfia Lucifuge, the said person, had made herself useful by bringing up some refreshments for the Warden of Cocytus, Esdese Glasya-Labolas, to enjoy. She had learnt some interesting facts during her brief time at the fortress prison, which she told her husband in private.

Lucifer was shocked to find that Serafall was jailed there, but made nothing of it in the end. His wife also had explained there was only handful of members within the organization, making up six teams in total, each one with different codename. Esdese and Nagato made up the **_Administration_** team, thus they were both called the Wardens.

"Nagato is covering for me so I can monitor Grayfia-nee without disruption," Esdese replied flatly before sipping the offered steamy drink. She then tried some sugary treats from the closest placed plate on the table before her host.

"Monitoring? I don't understand why such a process is necessary. Did you not say Grayfia is in the clear?" Sirzechs asked with a frown. He knew some of the inner working of the organization from memory. The knowledge was gained when their original leader, Minato Namikaze, ran through him with the plans. It was when the man was requesting for funding and support, in which Lucifer gave. The current leader, who was too young for his age, took over temporary for his father initially, but his status changed to permanent once he demonstrated his outstanding capability of operating the enforcement agency flawlessly, or so it seemed for now.

"Grayfia-nee is not under suspicion," Esdese assured once she wasn't chewing anything. She then stared at the couple intensely as she brushed her long hair back and fixed her cap. "I want to try something new. I'm curious about this true love that Grayfia-nee has spoken of so please show it to me."

"…!?" Grayfia tried to say something, but no words came out.

Lucifer stared at his stunned wife suspiciously as she shied away. Once he realized what his wife must have told Esdese, he burst out into full blown laughter. With the knowledge in mind, he believed he had something interesting to talk to Falbium Asmodeus. It was good to be young.

Meanwhile back in Cocytus, Nagato was having a pleasant time of finishing the pile of paperwork that Esdese had left behind in a hurry. In truth, the battle hardened General rarely did any work that would constitute as administration ever since Naruto had dumped her on him right after a few missions. It was due to her misconduct and handling arrestees. Without Naruto around, her victims almost always died a gruesome death regardless of the severity of their crimes. She also attempted to incite a rebellion by sowing discords among the archdukes, but was caught red handed. In other word, Esdese was under house arrest for a time.

The door to the office was opened as red-haired young woman, in her mid-twenty, entered. Once she was fully through, the heavy door automatically closed under its own weight while she approached the occupied table. Without a single word, she gently placed down a circular plate of freshly baked biscuits she brought from the kitchen. She then glanced around the emptied room, checking the second table, while the only other person within continued to finish off the current task.

"Thank you, Kushina," Nagato acknowledged once he was done. He stretched his upper body and arms to remove the stress before picking up a small piece from the plate. He had a bite, recalling the nostalgic memories from centuries passed when Mito Uzumaki had baked it for her grandchildren. He smiled at the savoring sensation rolling on his tongue.

"It's the least I could do," Kushina said and gave a warmed smile. It had been months since Nagato appeared and offered his help to her son. She was surprised to find that another person still alive from her clan since their demise at the beginning of the Great War. His presence had given her new hope for the future, but she was saddened by his permanent injury below the waist. "Nagato. Do you know if there are more of our relatives around?"

"I don't know," Nagato replied truthfully. "If it wasn't for Yahiko and Konan, I would have left for dead in the aftermath of the battle. I was kept under their care, healing, for the duration of the war so I do not know who else among us have survived. Maybe some of our kinsmen were like me and you, distancing ourselves from the world until all conflicts are gone."

"It never does, no matter how long we waited," Kushina spoke her mind. "The war was followed by another, fighting among each other, and now, with the Khaos Brigade. Is it going to be like this? One after another until there is no one left to fight anymore?"

"I know what you mean. I hope such event would not come to pass in our case," Nagato said as a chilled atmosphere descended upon the room. He continued talking nonetheless. "I was surprised there was an organization, calling itself as Akatsuki, the very name of our group that Yahiko set up before his passing, existed. It was shocking to know it was set up by Minato. We all had thought it was a mere coincidence, but that wasn't the case once she'd explained it."

"It existed because she wished it so," a matured voice reconfirmed by a ghost emerging from the floor and through the leathered chair unhindered. He then hovered above the seat before dropping down on it in his solid state. "I… we would have made a grievous mistake if she did not appear before us and warned us about the path we were on. A path only leads toward ruins. A word of a seven year old is hardly persuasive, but we could not dismiss the authenticity if her very existence. It is implausible unless we believed the evidence presented before us."

The tone of voice changed. "Tobi was tempted so it wasn't Tobi's fault. Tobi will be good boy from now on," Tobi said childishly as the only hole of blackness on his spiraling mask moved around like a spiraling vortex. It stopped where his mouth would be before he placed some cookies into, seemingly eating them. "Mmmmm… delicious. Can Tobi have more?"

Nagato gave a nod before his eyes saddened. "I did not believe her until Zetsu took over Konan and tried to do the same with all of us. I could not stop him without killing all my peerages in the process. Even after seeing the blatant betrayal, I still did not want to believe. I didn't want to learn the truth; that everything I have done since Yahiko's passing was under someone's control; that we were merely moveable pieces on the board and be discarded in the end."

"A tool is only useful when it is being used. We would have all becomes puppet or dead if she wasn't there," Tobi said, returning to mature tone of voice. "With our second chance, we will correct our past mistakes by following her. She requested us to follow Naruto and help him in all his endeavors then we will do so. This time around, Akatsuki will not go down in history as an oppressor, but as a peacekeeper."

Kushina gave a headshake as she picked up the emptied plate off the table. She was about to leave the room, but stopped. "I know. I understand. I truly do. It was necessary to implant the idea, but it didn't mean I have to like it. The girl set my husband up. She's not telling us everything or what she is."

Tobi dropped his head on the table with a thud. His stomach was growled even after consuming all the cookies. "Tobi wants to do what he wants to do like Shiro, but Tobi will listen to Naruto like Shiro."

"What Obito trying to say is: she didn't need to save any of us, but she wanted to. In doing so, she has earned our trust," Nagato clarified before giving the unbitten cookie in his hand to the hungry ghost. "I trust her. No one should have gone through what she has, and if she decided to do thing on her own then I'm afraid only Naruto would be able to stop her. She is…"

Nagato trailed off before looking directly at his older sister. "I will say this once and for all. I will help my dear nephew because he gave me a new purpose when I've lost mine. It is not because **_Shiroka_** has asked me to. My peerages have grudgingly accepted my request, but I do believed they are enjoying the task they were given even if a little strangely."

"I know you mean well, Otouto (younger brother). I've never thought otherwise when you offered your unconditional allegiance," Kushina said with a heavy sigh. "But her name means **_White Song_**. It is like she's telling me I was wrong all those years ago, and she never stated that she was my granddaughter no matter how much I asked. She called my Sochi as her bigger brother, and she didn't appear to be lying. Does that mean she's actually my daughter… but how can that be?"

Kushina held the plate tightly in her hands. "I tried to read her energy, but I found her aura is very strange. Minato has confirmed she was a hybrid of sort, but it was unlike anything he felt before in his life, which baffled him. With the entire set of pawns piece within her, she didn't become a devil like she should. If she was a God-class entity like you have implied, the evil pieces should be ejected out of her body immediately, but they did not. They are active within her as Sochi had confirmed it with his King piece. There are many questions I have, but so little answers."

Tobi let out a sound that was like a muffled yawn or moaning. "Shiro will tell Tobi when it is the right time. Tobi can wait forever."

"I agreed," Nagato added his opinion with a smile. "For now, become the loving mother you always wanted to be. Whether she is your daughter or your granddaughter or someone else entirely, she's still only a seven year old kid, who desired a caring family. And like I have said, I trusted her intention so I believed you can do the same."

Kushina mumbled something inaudibly before leaving the office. Tobi began to snooze since Esdese was not around to enact her revenge. Nagato, on the other hand, took out a folder from the drawer and opened it. Within was a blank white piece of paper with a large black blob of ink at the bottom.

He looked at it, taking a dozen of seconds to clear his throat, and spoke to it. "Any there any new report on their movements?"

It took a moment for the block of words began to form on the whiteness as the black blob spread outward. "Nothing has changed from the last report with the leaderships. Some are coming to the upcoming gatherings of young devils. We're still unable to find out the reason why. It's likely a few are acting on their own accord without authorization from their faction leaders. Shiro was correct. Qlippoth does exist within their hierarchy. Its intention is to unseal Trihexa to fight against Great Red while using the Evil Dragons to invade the connecting worlds along the dimensional gaps. Any new orders?"

"Hang on a second," Nagato said before spending a few minutes to gather his thoughts. Half of his own peerage remained in the Khaos Brigade after he knew the events that were to come. Akatsuki was supposed to be one of their dominant factions, with the intention of erasing any disorders around the world via absolute power. The plan was scrapped, however. "They're still silent so stay put and relay what you can for now. Don't take any action and avoid direct confrontation with Naruto at all cost."

"Understood; I will keep the others in line, but they're becoming more and more restless since they felt their ability could be better used elsewhere," the words formed before skipping a few lines. "Shiroka also requested something from me personally. I could do it, but I would need to expose myself."

"Nekoshou?" Nagato asked.

"Yes," was the single word formed.

Nagato pondered about that. "What did she want you to do exactly?"

**XxXxX**

Outside the Warden office and down the furnished corridor all the way to the left wings of the upper level, a large common room existed with a kitchen was also connected to it. Kushina entered the kitchen through the corridor instead. She put the empty plate away and picked up another by the counter along with bottle of milky liquids. On the plate were dark brown confections with creamy filling. Her husband, Minato, was stocking up supplies he'd brought back from the underworld or human world as she passed him silently by. She then entered the common room using the connecting door at the opposite end.

"I think it should be like this, Imouto," Naruto said softly as he placed the blocks of various geometric shapes on top of each other. He made each one of them himself, and together, they formed a hollowed out building overviewing many others made from the same materials.

Shiroka, or simply called as Shiro, watched the construction of a miniature prison with a bright smile while swaying her head side to side, thus swinging her twin golden locks of hair in the process. To her side was a magical staff with golden star within a metallic ring at one end that she confiscated from a certain prisoner with the help of a blue-haired Warden. The previous owner tried to get it back when she was freed, but admitted defeat due insufficient cuteness she wielded.

"See, looks a lot like the central building now doesn't it?" Naruto asked the girl, who appeared far too much like a female version of himself with golden eyes instead of blue. It was one the reasons why he'd accepted her as an adopted sister.

"Yep Nii-sama! It really does so! But it's missing Loli-nee and Ita-nii. There, I put them on for you because you forgot," Shiro pointed out and placed the two iconic Akatsuki finger-size figurines on top of the tallest tower before clapping her hands excitedly as if she had done a good job.

"Hahah, yeah, the tower wouldn't be complete without those two on top. It's the same with the bridge here as well," Naruto said and placed a figurine with upper body of a demonic angel with fangs and a lower body of a draconic serpent onto the front gate of the fortress. Another one was standing next to it. It held a reddish tri-scythe in its hands, and together, they formed the **_Gatekeeper_** duo. "There they are, Samael and Hidan. I hope they are not still insulting each other while watching the entrance."

**XxXxX**

Hidan groaned in annoyance as he tried to reconnect his detached limbs from the scattered parts all around him. He was sitting on several kilometers long bridge connecting the underworld region to the front gate of the prison. Samael, the dragon eater, couldn't say or do anything since his entire body was encased in a massive semitransparent block of ice. Littered below their position, in the chasms, were numerous severed bodies of monsters. The gruesome sights were left a blue-haired General when she used the bridge to return to the underworld with a silver-haired maid in tow.

"Fucking sadistic bitch! Why did she cut me up as well? I wasn't even doing anything," Hidan cursed angrily as he reconnected his arms and lower bodies perfectly. They were removed from him when time around the bridge was frozen, and it remained frozen for almost half an hour after the caster was long gone. Once whole again, Hidan examined Samael, who as blinking back at him while the magical ice began to crack in various places. "Hey dumbass! You bad mouthed her again didn't you?"

Watching them with interest from the highest tower in the center of the prison complex was two of their comrades. One was more amused than the other as she pointed the barrel of her blessed gun in their direction. "Oho. It's about time the effect went away. I am very impressive at its current duration."

The black-haired young man stood silently by her side. His crimson eyes were spinning as he saw Esdese used the technique in the last hour. Everything around the bridge was frozen in time while the she was free to slash up her victims with the long rapier-like demonic blade.

"**_Mahapadma_**… the freezing field. It is longer than before. The monsters died believing she had cut them up instantly. A frightening ability, but I do not like it when she keeps cutting up Hidan for fun," Itachi said.

"He can't die from something like that, even getting stabbed through the heart," Lolicard snorted.

"It's not much effort to stab a person through the heart. It's already an instant kill technique when employed," Itachi continued, ignoring the deep manly voice of his partner. "The ones that are immune to it are those natural gifted with the fire element… like the Phenex clan. I wonder if I could survive it with my cursed flames."

"Kekeke… not immune," Lolicard corrected with a wide smirk. "They can only resist against its effect, but they will be moving a snail pace. Master can move freely within the field due to the combination of his Auras. He is the only one who has overcome the technique and bested her even if handicapped within. I don't need to resist the effect. I'm more immortal than that foulmouthed down there so she can try and kill me as much as she wants. Crushing me into a bloody paste still won't do her any good."

"I am curious. Is there any way to actually put you down permanently?" Itachi asked, knowing Lolicard was immune to everything that a pure-blooded vampire should be weak against. Only the holiest relic of the Christian faith affected her to any useful extend. That also implied the thirteen Longinus would have an effect. Fortunately, they likely only slow her down, not permanently incapacitate her.

Lolicard stared lazily at the Uchiha before laughing maniacally. It was impossible for her to die. If she could, the original vampire Lords would have killed her instead of sealing and locking her away in the depth of Cocytus. Even after centuries of starvation down in the pit, becoming a dried out husk due to malnourishment, she still couldn't die. She would have remained there till the end of time, but luckily a blond stumbled across her coffin.

"No one is immortal. I can die just like everyone else," Lolicard said cryptically while twirling the massive twin pistols in her hands. She then pointed them at Itachi. "If you must know, only a man can truly hope to kill a monster."

**XxXxX**

"Musume (daughter), I have brought some snacks for you," Kushina called out as she sat the mattress near the duo. To her eyes, they both looked very much like biological siblings, and she'd accepted the fact even she wasn't sure if that was actually the case. Shiroka needed a loving family so she will provide one.

Kushina outstretched both her hands, offering the plate of food in between to the twin-haired girl. A few seconds later, Shiroka was sitting onto her lap, enjoying the confection with each mouthful and savoring its taste with a satisfied expression. Kushina smiled and helped the little girl consume nutritious milky drink every once in a while.

Naruto tried to grab a few pieces off the plate, but the small owner fumed at him while pulling the plate away with every playful attempt. As much as she loved her brother, she would never share any sweet with him, or anyone for that matter. Naruto pulled out the used toothpicks that were stabbed into his hand and fingers.

"Hey, you have plenty so give me one," he asked, but the girl ignored him by turning her whole body to the side. Naruto shook his head and then chuckled while scratching his cheek. "Okay, fine, I will get some from the kitchen later. But, Imouto, what should you say to Kaa-sama?"

"Ah… Thank you for the food, Kaa-san. It's really good," Shiroka thanked with the politeness of an adorable child. Kushina gave a nod and kissed her daughter on the head motherly. The seven year old giggled and continued finishing her plate.

Naruto returned to finishing off the half-constructed building before putting figurines of Esdese and Nagato inside the room and at their respective desk. He frowned that Esdese rarely wore the uniform he gave her, but her doll had them on.

"Sochi, you should take your father with you on missions," Kushina advised when watching the little figures being paired up around the miniature complex. Alucard was with Itachi. Hidan was with Samael. Esdese was with Nagato.

She continued. "The reason Akatsuki moves in two is so each can watch the other's back as you have said it yourself. Three is too many and gets in each other's way. Esdese was your partner before Nagato joined, but you decided to put her with Nagato afterward. I know you don't like her way to doing thing and could not bother to correct it since she's stubborn. If that is the case, you should find someone more suitable."

"Adding another member to the group? But I got use to working alone for so long," Naruto responded after he placed the semitransparent figurine of Tobi on the rooftop. Below the phantom boy was the Kitchen, where Kushina resided drawing up seals as it was her actual task beside cooking and cleaning. In the miniature adjacent room, Minato and Shiroka were bundled up together, watching episode of Magical Levia-tan on a television set made of plastic.

"Besides, hunting down criminals isn't that much work. I can manage by myself," Naruto added.

"Work, work, work," Kushina growled lowly. "If I didn't come with you and your father and live here, you two would only return home once a month while being completely exhausted. You two are so much alike. He keeps trying to do everything by himself while forgetting that there are people around him. If I didn't force him to slow down and carry out his promise of marrying me, he would have forgotten about it and died off in a ditch somewhere while I waited for him to return! You wouldn't be born if that is the case!"

Kushina calmed down with a sigh. "Work is good, but you should rest once in a while."

Naruto was going to response, but "all work and no play make Tobi a dull boy" echoed in the room without the ghost being around. He rolled his eyes instead.

"I can be your partner if you can't find anyone, Nii-sama," Shiro offered while licking her lips to clean off the chocolate stains. She then repositioned her adorable magical attire and pointed at her small white overcoat with crimson clouds. "I'm also an important member, right?"

Naruto pondered when he had such an idea of changing the outfit to something like that. It was white with red flames at the hemlines previously.

"Yes, you are an important member, but you're still young and should stay here with Kaa-sama and Tou-sama, Imouto," Naruto answered before humming briefly. He then pursed his lip and paid attention to his mother. "We can rest when they are all gone. Besides, it's not like I'm working all the time without rest. I do return here to eat and bath…

"And play with me," Shiro added with a bright smile.

"Yes, and play with Shiro-chan," Naruto assured, returning the smile.

"But Nii-sama, you will have more time to play with me if you have a partner," Shiro pointed out, hinting the mission would go much smoother if there were two people working together. "Kaa-san is right. Nii-sama should have a partner."

She then cocked her head to Kushina. "Who do you think should be with Nii-sama?"

Naruto examined the little girl's demeanor carefully. Shiroka, similar to Tobi, was far more intelligent than she'd let on. There was a different between the two childish members, however. Tobi has two distinctive personalities. Obito was the mature one and only surfaced on demand while there was only one Shiroka as far as Naruto could tell. He also noticed her wordings in the question as it did not mention team.

Seeing his mother didn't response while in thought, he asked the little girl directly: "And who do you think I should be with me, Imouto?"

"Shiro don't know," Shiro said with a headshake. She then pushed her cheeks up with both hands, forming a forced smile. "Maybe you will find one at the gatherings."

"Shiro don't know huh," Naruto said, noticing the usage of third person. "And how does Shiro know there is a gathering coming up?"

"Shiro heard Tobi talking about it," Shiro answered shyly as Naruto noted another lie. "Can I go with Nii-sama to the gathering? It sounds like a lot of fun!"

"The young devil gatherings?" Minato asked while he entered the room from the kitchen's door. "We never have those kinds of events when I was growing up. It sounds like a good place to meet up with others. You should definitely go to see those from your generation, Naruto."

"You think so too huh?" Naruto asked before chuckling at the misconception. "Nagato forgets to mention that even if it was called a gathering, it is more like a formal meeting among the Lords and Satans to congratulate the upcoming noteworthy young devils and their assembled peerages. Basically, it's a formality for recognition or awareness."

"… Is that so? I didn't know it was something like that," Minato admitted his lack of knowledge on the matter. He had assumed it was a gathering of young devils in an elaborated party from the name alone. "Actually, if that is the case, it would be good for the leader of Akatsuki to be there in person. Show them the gentle side of the organization."

Minato then eyed Shiroka, whose golden eyes sparkled. "Yes, take your sister with you as well. Having her there will show that Akatsuki isn't made up of monsters that can't be killed. With her, no one in their right mind can call such an adorable child a monster! Come here and give papa a hug! Ahem… sorry… I got carried away."

"Yeah, seriously," Naruto said as Shiroka gave him a firmed hug instead. He didn't notice her small hands were fidgeting his black headband as her bright smile acquired his attention.

**XxXxX**

"For the incompetent Bael family to –

Sairaorg Bael, the heir of Bael clan and first cousin of Rias Gremory, was about to strike Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas, the current heir of Glasya-Labolas, for the insult right before everyone in the room, but a crimson flash appeared before his thrown fist. A strong and firm hand of a spiky blond blocked his punch with little effort.

Naruto sighed as he looked directly at the shocked owner of the hand before letting it go. "I don't think it is necessary, Sairaorg-kun. Knocking him out before the introduction ceremony won't be good on your record. And you two, Seekvaira of the Agares Clan and Zephyrdor of the Glasya-Labolas Clan, if you want to go further, I suggest you take it outside. The room you two are in is innocent and it has taken enough damage from your pointless brawl."

"That technique… and to block my fist without any sign of trouble," Sairaorg mumbled before clenching his fist. He then noticed white robe with crimson patterned the blond adorned. He immediately gave a courteous bow. "I assumed you are Naruto Uzumaki, leader of Akatsuki?"

"Uh huh, seems like someone here know me," Naruto said while his little sister, standing by his side, stared up at the handsome young man. She didn't say anything as her mouth was occupied with a candy bar.

"Of course, you are the only one in our generation taking the fight to the Khaos Brigade," Sairaorg said with admiration. "And it is an honor to see you in person."

"Interesting… Likewise, maybe one day you can join us to keep the peace," Naruto said as he smiled. He looked around the upcoming celebrity while measuring their auras. None were of upper High-class from first glance, but their peerages were more numerous than his.

Naruto returned his attention to Sairaorg. "I was pondering what was going on in here and decided to drop by to see. I didn't expect Es-chan' little brother was stirring up trouble."

Zephyrdor, who dressed like a delinquent with metal ornaments hanging around his hands jingled and clanked, was still furious. "Hah! Abandoning her title and running off like some bitch on a leash. She's not my sister. If she was here right now, I will put her in her place."

"Oh? Did you hear that, Es-chan?" Naruto asked, looking over the tattooed man's shoulder to see someone behind him. Zephyrdor's eyes widened as his body shivered uncontrollably from the chilling atmosphere. He cocked his head slowly around, but only his peerages stood patiently, waiting for his command. A vein popped around his temple as he shot back to the blond in anger. Unfortunately, a hand, cold like ice, lifted him up in the air with chokehold with little effort.

"What was that, little brother?" Esdese asked, glaring up at her step little brother as he tried to break out of her powerful grip with both hands. His legs thrashed about in the air while the clanging and jingling sounds of the metallic ornaments were the only thing could be heard in the room. "I haven't seen you in a while, and here you are, getting full of yourself. I think it's time I remind you the difference in our strength?"

"W-wait, Es…dese…death… nee… I didn't mean it…stop… mercy…" Zephyrdor uttered the words with every breath he could muster.

Sadly, mercy was for the weak so she did not relent. The bared chest man's windpipe was being crushed as he stared down at the menacing expression of the former undefeatable General, who had lived her entire life on a battlefield. She was born on a battlefield, and hopefully, one day she would die on it. The man's peerages tried to help him, but their legs were encased in solid ice. Everyone in the room began to whisper with a few from the crimsoned-haired princess of ruins entourage wanted to save Zephyrdor.

"I think it's enough, Es-chan," Naruto ordered flatly while Shiroka examined the shocked faces around the room impassively. "You have just lost one brother, and you don't want to lose another so soon even if he is a disappointment."

"The weak dies and the strong survives; I survive because I am strong, that's all there is to it," Esdese stated flatly as she increased her handgrip in anger. Even she had said that, her eyes softened at the brother she grew up with. "So why can't you be strong like Falbium?"

Naruto exhaled and was about to stop her himself, but she let Zephyrdor go before he could. The green-haired man coughed heavily on all four before he felt a soft bottom bearing down onto his back. He immediately tried to hold the load with visible shakiness from his limbs. He knew when he saw her deadly and murderous gaze, that his sister was still the same person he nicknamed Esdeath to her approval.

Esdese crossed her legs as she watched the young devils around the room from her made shift chair. "So tell me again, little brother, who's the bitch?"

"I… I am, please forgive me, Esdeath-nee," Zephyrdor stuttered with ghastly fright while looking at the floor shame.

"Sorry, you all have to see that," Naruto admitted in front of everyone. He noticed his sister pulling his coat as he eyed her. He stooped down to her level and asked: "What is it Imouto?"

Shiroka smiled and whispered softly into her brother's ear.

"Found it already? Are you sure?" Naruto asked, but it was an unnecessary question given what he knew of her powers. The golden-haired girl gave a repeated nod before pointing accusing at gentle-looking young man with blonde hair wearing aristocratic as everyone looked toward the direction with curiosity.

"Diodora Astaroth," Shiroka said as Naruto displayed a hologram came from the blue gem on his gauntlet.

"Diodora Astaroth," Naruto repeated as he scanned through the prerecorded information. He looked directly at the boy as his eyes sharpened. "Pure-blooded devil, High-Class Devil, heir to the Astaroth Clan. Younger brother of Ajuka Beelzebub. To squander away your life like this…"

Everyone as wondering what was happening before Naruto vanished from his spot.

Dooooooonnnnn!

Diodora was slammed into the wall with one hand pressed against his chest, shocking him and everyone in the room. The surprised attack caused the boy's peerages to drawn their weapons, but their hands were impaled with ice shards falling from the ceiling.

"You are hereby under arrest," Naruto announced flatly as the cracks behind Diodora grew in size. "Do not resist, if you do, I have the right to execute you."

"That's absurd!" Diodora called out in shock. "When did Akatsuki arrest us on such things?"

"Such things? Are you referring to your fetishes with holy maidens? Where you rape their mind and body after saving them? A sorry, I mean breaking their wills and spirits to the point of no return," Naruto quipped darkly, causing most of the people in the room to be speechless. "You are right. There is no law against how you treat your peerages as they are your peerages. As much as I wanted, I am not arresting you on that assumption. Inside your body is an aura that is not yours. The only way you can have it is if you have affiliated yourself with the Khaos Brigade."

"That's a lie. Ophis didn't give me something like that," Diodora called out.

"And you just dig yourself deeper," Naruto said as he knocked out Diodora with a punch into the gut, which shook the entire building. He then vanished in a crimson flash with the unconscious boy, leaving everyone looking at the emptied spot and crumpling wall. They began talking to each other for less than a minute before the blond returned alone to his sister's side.

"May I ask what has happened to Diodora?" Sairaorg asked.

"Treason is punishable by death, so you should know what will happen to him," Naruto said grimly as his little sister was pulling on his robe again. "Really, Imouto? Is there another one here?"

Shiroka answered by pointing accusingly at the white-haired petite girl. "Shirone… Koneko Toujou."

Naruto followed the golden-haired girl's direction and paid undivided attention to Koneko. The petite girl tensed up and cowered behind Rias, her King, who glared unflinchingly at Naruto.

With a few thoughts, Naruto approached the group slowly. His footsteps were the only thing could be heard in the now deadly silence banquet hall. He didn't make it to his destination since a brown-haired boy blocked his path. As usual, he checked the information on the boy even though he knew who Issei was.

"Issei Hyoudou, Reincarnated Devil, Wielder of Boosted Gear, Pawn of Rias Gremory," Naruto said with a small smile. "Even a new devil like you must have known who I am and the law I sworn to uphold, so why do you stop me?"

"Yes… I know because Buchou has told me about you, but there's no way what that little girl is accusing is true! If she pointed at someone, they get arrested? What kind of process is that?" Issei announced as his Sacred Gear upon his left arm. He had heard about the dark place called Cocytus Fortress Prison, where the many devils being held and tortured by monsters. "It's wrong! I'm not going to let you put a single finger on Koneko."

The rest of Rias' peerages also stood behind the brown-haired boy, adding their opinions.

"Oh? Really? Let's see about that," Naruto scratched his cheek thoughtfully before vanishing in a crimson flash. Everyone was going to look toward Koneko's direction, but an airborne body flew across the room and slamming into the wall had acquired their attention instead. Rias Gremory gasped in pain as she collapsed to the ground. She was still conscious, but panting heavily as residue lightning crackled over her body.

Shiroka had since returned to eating her candy with a blanked expression while Esdese watched the commotion with interest.

"Hmmm," Naruto muttered when he accidently retaliated due to reflex. He then stared down at the lone white-haired girl as she tried to back away, but was unable to control her legs. With a devious smirk, he poked her cheek with a single finger, making her flinched from the fear, before turning around and had a condescending look at the stunned Issei. "There, I put a finger on her. What are you going to do about it, Sekiryuutei?"

**– to be continued –**


	5. Black and White (4)

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**=[Black and White]=  
(4)**

How did it come to this? I thought as my back crashed and slid across the dirt. I panted heavily, feeling the shooting pain around my chest's area before rolling to the side and pulling myself up. Spectators beyond the erected magical barrier, seated or standing depending on their status, remained attentive as I glanced at them one more time. I then turned to eye my blond opponent, who remained completely relaxed while taunting me silently with his overbearing presence.

"You can do it, Issei-san! You just need one clean hit!"

Ah, the ever concerning Asia-chan reminded me what was at stake in this battle. Those on my side, including Sona and her peerages, cheered me on. Buchou, Xenovia-san, Akeno-san and Yuuto-kun, had said almost the same thing while the cross-dressing Gasper remained shy as usual. I paid attention to the building we were assembled in previously to check on Koneko-chan. I could make out her petite figure from my location. She stared back at me while pressing her hands upon the glass window of the sealed room like a captured princess waiting for her prince. She would remain there until the conclusion of the battle. I gritted my teeth and stared back at my opponent.

"There, I put a finger on her. What are you going to do about it, Sekiryuutei?" He'd asked darkly once he'd accomplished the said task.

I didn't mean it literally when I told him I wouldn't let him land a finger on her. It was just a figure of speech, but everything went downhill when Buchou's Onii-sama entered the room along with other Satans and prominent Lords to see what was happening. While Serafall-sama, who wasn't dressed in her usual magical girl attire due to the occasion, and Sirzechs-sama requested him to let bygone be bygone humbly, he refused to accept. The rests of the Lords, including the other two Satans, supported his stance on the matter.

"Issei, I must apologize. I didn't mention Naruto-san is a very peculiar person since I didn't think he would be here. I know you mean well, but he takes any kind of threat against him seriously," Buchou had said with a frown. She was also rubbing the bruise he'd inflicted upon her when she tried to stop him from getting any closer to her important servant. Her attempt to do so was over in a flash with her being brushed aside, literally. "Like the Lords, Beelzebub-sama and Asmodeus-sama have never seen Naruto-san's true strength before so they decided to use the given opportunity."

Basically, they were going to throw me under the bus in order to test Naruto Uzumaki through **_trial of combat_**. It was a duel to the death between two people; an old barbaric way to seek justice and regain lost pride. Luckily for me, it wasn't to the death as Sirzechs-sama had compromised. I only needed to strike him cleanly once and he would forget the whole matter and let Koneko-chan go.

"Don't let him hit you, Nii-sama! Fight! Fight!" yelled the seven-year old with golden hair and matching colored pair of eyes. I admitted I was furious at her for accusing Koneko-chan without proper basis, but the anger melted away as quickly as it came. She was too adorable to hold a grudge against when she was cheering for her brother with bright smile. Beside her was the frightening blue-haired Onee-chan, who put the delinquent Onii-san in his place. She was so cool when she did even if she was looking at me with those icy blue eyes now.

[Partner, I know there are many beautiful ladies focusing on you, but concentrate on the task. You should have noticed that he isn't an opponent who would allow someone to hit him no matter how arrogance he is. If you fail to land one in the allotted time, he will take that white-haired girl away]

Heeding the advice from Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor within my left arm, I focused on my opponent again. Buchou and Sirzechs-sama had stated adamantly that Naruto-san will do exactly as he said if I failed in my task. He'd even arrested Grayfia-sama right before Sirzechs-sama in the Satan's own home a few days ago so I have no doubt that he would. Cocytus was a dark place as everyone had told me so I will not allow Koneko to be taken there no matter what. "I wish I could use dividing gear to halve his speed so I can smash that false justice of his."

[Do you not remember what Azazel had said? The ability of the white one will sap away your lifespan each time you use it. You must not use it unless you must.]

"I know that," I replied as the green jewel on my left arm glowed brightly as it doubled my power once more. "How much more do you think I need to match his speed?"

[… I don't think you will ever match his speed as you are right now. He's not even fighting with his true strength and he's already dominating you. At maximum boosts, the powers I provide will only give you a very small chance of striking him. The possibility is higher if you can enter Balance Breaker, but right now, I don't think that is possible.]

"What are you mumbling about, Sekiryuutei?"

**XxXxX**

"What are you mumbling about, Sekiryuutei?" Naruto asked. He was getting slightly impatient while he examined the barrier that Akuja Beelzebub, one of the four Satan, constructed. It actually restricted his ability to teleport within so that was something new. Even handicapped, the battle outcome between a Low-Class and Ultimate-Class was a forgone conclusion in most case. Issei had pulled off miracle before like when he fought with Riser Phenex, a High-Class devil, so he was hoping to be enlightened.

With a forced yawn, Naruto looked lazily at his opponent. "I might not look like it, but I don't have all day you know. I haven't defend properly against your so called attacks. Show me what you have or I will take Koneko-chan and find some enjoyments from her instead. You know what I mean right?"

"… Bastard! I'm not going let you do that! She's mine!" Issei shouted as his red gauntlet glowed brightly with his strong emotion. He lurched forward with an impressive speed.

Naruto sidestepped narrowly while lightning wrapped around his dominant right arm and fist. With a straight punch to the chest, he sent the brown-haired boy away for the umpteenth time. It seemed like that was all he'd been doing.

Once the deed was done, Naruto clenched his fist and eyed it for briefly. He felt the tingling sensation upon his knuckles. "Hmmm… you're getting stronger and faster than when we started, but it's still not good enough."

Issei's body crashed onto the ground, sliding across it and creating another dirt trench while his loyal cheer squads continued to encourage him. He groaned and gasped for air, holding his chest in pain with both hands while rolling side to side. "He's still too fast, Ddraig."

Naruto waited while frowning for the brown-haired to talk to himself and get up again.

It took at least half a minute for Issei to do so, and when he did, Naruto spoke up again. "It's frightening to think that there is an ability out there that could double a person's power endlessly without consequences. Was it every ten seconds? I have been given you plenty of time to maxed out your capability, but I'm depressed… no, I'm actually disappointed. I thought this was going to be a good fight since I haven't had one in a while."

Naruto then clicked his tongue and sighed. He was never talkative during battle since it was pointless to brag and gloat about things to his opponent, but he made an exception this time around. He wanted to see how powerful the wielder of Boosted Gear could be personally. It was stated that the famed Sacred Gear, one of the thirteen Longinus, had the power to kill a God when fully mastered.

"I'm assuming you can't enter Balance Breaker yet, otherwise you would have used it against me, or maybe you're underestimating me? Are you?" Naruto questioned suspiciously before smirking. "I think I will lock Koneko-chan up somewhere dark and alone for her rest of her natural life. If you don't want that then come at me with all you have."

Issei panted and glared angrily at the blond while a potent reddish energy orb materialized in the palm of his left hand. Against Ddraig's stern advice, Iseei fired it at his opponent with as much power as he could muster. "Dragon Shot!"

The reddish beam of destructive energy sailed along the air at remarkable speed. For the first time since the battle began, Naruto was actively defending himself. Blocking the dragon beam with his bare hands, he was pushed several meters back before he managed to hold his ground.

"Okay, this is more like it… I'm impressed," Naruto admitted the sheer power Issei had unleashed into the beam. He then took a step forward while a small spiraling sphere formed between his hands. As more of his powers were being channeled into the creation, it grew in size while grinding against the dragon shot. Soon enough, it was big enough to carve against the earth below his feet. Naruto then pushed the human size Rasengan forward slowly as it shaved the crimson beam into explosive confetti all around him.

Falbium Asmodeus finally opened his eyes and sat up straight from his sister's laps. He was using them as a comfortable pillow since he wasn't allowed to bring out a bed to sleep in once the battle wasn't what he had anticipated. "It's about time for something good happen. That's an interesting technique. Did he defeat you with that?"

"He might have, but no," Edese answered as she formed a miniature rasengan upon her fingertip. She then created a few more on the other fingers to demonstrate a point. "The bigger it is, the harder it is to control, but it's not anything special once you know how to do it."

"Yep! But Rasenshuriken is much much more stronger! It goes kaboom and leaves nothing left!" Shiro called out from the side, flapping with her hands. "And Nii-sama defeated Es-nee by knocking her out with a really really strong chop to the neck! Umm… that what's Shiro heard from Kaa-sama."

Esdese confirmed it as her older brother, Falbium, raised a brow lazily. "So someone actually got behind you in a duel? If you didn't admit it yourself, I thought that was a joke. How did that happen exactly?"

"That's easy! Nii-sama is the fastest person in the world! He just get behind and knock Es-nee out," Shiro gloated before Esdese could explain about his ability to counteract her powers. Falibum leaned down at the small girl before blinking and pointed.

"I don't mind having kids running around, but can you tell me why is she here?"

**_[A few hours ago]_**

"So here you are, Es-chan," Naruto said after he appeared with a little girl sitting on top of his shoulder while her tiny hands knitted his spiky hair playfully. The rip in space and time resealed once the crimson aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "I was wondering where you were."

"Naruto… Master," Esdese mumbled as she turned around with a small smile. She approached him and outstretched both of her hands, each to his side, placing them onto his cheeks. He raised a brow at the unusual gesture before she pressed her lips against his. The shock caused him and Shiroka to blink several times. Once the kiss was broke off, Esdese frowned confusingly. "That doesn't feel like what Grayfia-nee had described. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. Let me try again."

A few annoyed knuckles later, Esdese was rubbing the painful bumps on her head while laying on the grass. Her hat was confiscated and worn by Shiro, who sat by her brother's side on a makeshift bench from scattered block of granites and stones.

"Okay, what was that for?" Naruto asked with all seriousness. Shiro was fuming at the Esdese for attempting to seduce her brother.

"Please forgive me, I was just trying something called falling in love," Esdese apologized before standing up and fixing her military attire. She brushed her long hair with her fingers to clear away any foreign substance before requesting the return of her hat, in which Shiro threw back at Naruto's request.

Fixing the hat upon her head again, she continued. "I was studying it with Grayfia-nee before I have to return home due to emergency. The first step is learning about each other and holding hands. We already knew each other and our hands already touched. The next step is showing affection by locking lips. I tried that, but it's didn't feel right. Maybe we should skip to the next step?"

"… Es-chan… you're not joking are you?" Naruto questioned disapprovingly with a headshake. "Even if falling in love was that fast, what we have is not it. You feel admiration for me, not affection."

Shiro nodded rapidly in agreement while Naruto continued. "You followed me because you respect my strength and ability, not because you feel some sort of yearning for me. That's not what you would call love, do you understand?"

"Then please tell me what it is? I want to know," Esdese requested as Naruto rubbed his eyes in annoyance. He didn't want to explain the whole concept of love to her as he didn't understand it fully himself. No one truly did, and those that stated they were in love usually were not. Love wasn't an emotion that needed to be said or describe, but acted upon. Naruto pondered what he should tell her from the multitude of possibilities in his mind, but the youngest among the trio spoke up.

"When a boy that you know isn't by your side for whatever reason and you feel hopelessly lost, unable to do anything on your own while your mind filled with fond memories about him," Shiro said with a highly confident and matured tone. "Then you know it is true love, Es-nee."

Shiro then blinked before forming a wide smile at her brother. "Kaa-san and Tou-san have told Shiro so when Shiro asked why they were together. Ah… they said Shiro shouldn't tell anyone so please don't tell them that Shiro had told you."

"I see…" Naruto mumbled and noted the third person's usage. "Anyway, what Imouto said is probably closest thing to the truth, so please don't go around kissing random people. We already have enough rumors about us already. We don't want others to think we molest the prisoners…"

He eyed Esdese before adding: "yet."

Esdese nodded in understanding as she turned around and watched the tall strands of grass swaying against the gentle breeze of the underworld. "Does that mean I don't love my younger brother? He'd died in this very spot, but I felt nothing."

The heir to Glasya-Labolas Clan had passed away recently. Officially, the young boy had an unfortunate accident that cannot be disclosed to the public, but unofficially, he was murdered by an unknown assailant.

Naruto left the stone bench and stood by her side, placing his hand firmly on her shoulder before noticing her face. Shiro also left the seat after Naruto did, but she was walking around the area, checking something out of interest.

"What Shiro-chan said is reserved for those that are not related to you. It can't be applied for your siblings or parents since you should feel something for them unconditionally," Naruto clarified. "But I think you do love your brother since those tears you shred for him do not lie."

Esdese rubbed the area below her eyes, feeling the liquids upon her fingers. She then calmed herself and inhaled deeply as she believed crying was a sign of weakness. The effort took several minutes, returning her to her normal persona. "Why did you need to look for me, Master? And you're has taken Shiro-chan along as well."

Naruto tapped his casual clothing. The required white overcoat was not worn, implying he was off duty for the day. "I was heading off to the young devil gatherings, and Shiro wanted to come along even if I told her it was going to be very boring with a lot of stupid formality. But what she wants, she usually gets unless I want to see her sulking around the house… I mean Cocytus. Anyway, since she's coming along, I was wondering if you want to come as well since more is better. Lolicard didn't want to go, and I can't bring Samael with me since there are going to be dragons there… well, at least one dragon among them. I don't want to knock him out when he enters his berserk mode."

Esdese said she will join him since it might lighten her mood as her brothers, older and younger, were going to be there as well.

"Imouto, what are you doing over there?" Naruto called out when he located Shiro. The golden-haired girl didn't reply while Naruto and Esdese approached her from behind. "What's wrong?"

"Nii-sama, I'm feeling the presence of the Dragon God lingering around here," Shiro said when she turned around before opening her eyes. "It's very faint, but recent… like it was here in the past few days. It also mixed with another aura, demonic… devil. High class… most likely."

"Are you implying there is a devil that has an Ophis' snake inside their body?" Naruto asked as Shiro nodded confidently. He did not argue about her sensory ability since she could tell exactly what kind of souls were inside Alucard and their exact numbers. The sheer amount had shocked everyone while Alucard laughed maniacally and bowed down to Shiro for the correct answer. If the arrogance and sadistic vampire wasn't sealed up, he might have drunk the human world to the brink of extinction.

The temperature around the area instantly dropped sharply as the grasses around her turned to solid ice. Once the incoming breeze washed over them, they shattered into icy flakes.

"The Khaos Brigade killed my brother!?" Edese questioned angrily.

"Calm down, Es-chan," Naruto said, heating himself up with his own power since he beginning to feel the frost bite setting in. Flames swirled around his body as it formed the white overcoat with crimson cloud patterns. "It's never a dull moment with them isn't it? Even when I want to take a break, stuff like this happens. I might as well get back to work of hunting down a traitor. Say, Imouto. Do you know who it is?"

Shiro looked her brother and gave a headshake as an answer. Everything had changed from her own set of memory so she did not know. "I can't be more helpful, Nii-sama. I have memorized the aura. If their owner is near me, I will tell you. I promise."

"So we have to check each individually then. This might takes a while," Naruto muttered as he held up his left arm. The gauntlet appeared to have been upgraded as it looked slightly different than before with more gems. Pressing a few buttons upon it, he connected to Cocytus and explained his intention. "Nagato, can you give me the list of all high-class devils, especially those that appeared much stronger than they should be. There are a lot of them, I know, but I want to make sure none fall through the crack."

"Just give me an hour to tabulate them," Nagato said with an understanding. "Besides that, I have some information you might want to know."

**_[The Present Time]_**

"So you came here to check among us first to check?" Falbium asked.

"No, we didn't think there was a traitor among the young devils," Esdese said and accepted the drink that Zephyrdor brought to her like a good boy. "Master wants to apologize to Lucifer-sama in person for not attending the ceremony after he said he would, but Shiro-chan found the culprit when we checked the disturbance between the young ones. The person we caught might not necessary be the culprit who killed our brother, at least not until we do some interrogation. But having an Ophis' snake within our hand, we can test whether Samael's ability have any effect on it."

"Diodora Astaroth… such a problem," Falbirum muttered and eyed at the Ajuka Beelzebub across the field, who claimed to have accepted the Satan status only if Lucifer accepted his. "He's not worried that his younger brother might be executed. I wondered if he cared at all. No one really knows what's going on in his mind. If he does, this might spark a war between our two houses. I hate thinking about such things. This is why everyone should just take a break and go on vacation or something."

Falbirum returned his attention to the fight, which should be ending any seconds now as Naruto sent Issei away with another lightning empowered punch. Issei wasn't getting faster or stronger no matter how much time had passed, meaning he had reached his maximum boosted limit. "This was a waste of time. I didn't even get to see how he'd beaten you. I guess Naruto-kun needs a stronger opponent for that."

Shiro was sucking on a large spiral lollipop that she got from somewhere as she watched the fight. It was big enough to make her cheeks bulged out on both side. Her mind replayed the event as she watched the brown-haired boy struggled against her brother.

_Issei Hyoudou panted heavily as he fell toward the ground. His crimson glowing dragon wings broke apart as he collapsed to his knees from the exhaustion. His helmet was cracked, revealing his left eyes as blood streaming from his forehead, obscuring his vision. He looked at the pair of crimson jeweled encrusted rings in his left, unarmored, palm before clenching it tightly. He stood up straight as the left side of Crimson Emperor Drive armor was destroyed._

_"Rias, I will be with you and everyone soon," Issei muttered as he gathered as much power within him before boosting it far beyond his body could handle. The multi colored jewels encrusted his final form glowed brightly as he coughed out blood at the internal damage. He then vanished at an impossible speed toward his opponent as fiery chains materialized around him in order to bind him. He evaded them as much as he could so he could get closer enough for one final shot. His right hand outstretched at his target when his entire body were wrapped in chains, stopping him dead in his track. He roared as an intense focused beam of red destruction fired forward from his right palm._

_His opponent raised her hand at it as terrifying sphere of absolute darkness collided against the destructive beam. With another gesture of her hand, the sphere was pushed forward with a powerful invisible force before it imploded then exploded. The shockwave it generated was powerful enough to crush the earth into bits and vaporized the clouds above._

_With his power and stamina completely drained, Issei coughed heavily as he looked at the impassive enemy. She was hovering before him while her golden eyes were void of any emotion. He swore he could see something glimmering within them before._

_With the last of his strength he gripped the pair of rings on his left hand and tried to say one last word, hoping to bring up any shred of emotion beneath. "You are not this person, Na–_

_Blood erupted out of his lips as a kunai chain pierced through his chest and heart as it came from her hand. The binding chains over his body tightened before they ripped him apart without mercy. Blood sprayed across the ground as she watched the gruesome display. Another had fallen by her hand._

_"Weapon does not need a name," she said floating up into the sky. She then obliterated the entire area with a gigantic black sphere._

Shiro blinked as she remembered the final moment of the last Longinus wielder while sucking on her candy. With her right hand occupied, her left palm was pointed to the floor as a small creature emerged from it. The Kunai-like Snake drilled into the earth and passed underneath the barrier.

Issei dropped to his knee, panting heavily at his accumulated injuries. He struggled to pull himself up before collapsing flatly onto the ground while his cheer squads no longer uttered a single word. The difference between his and his opponent's powers was too great and any more struggles by him would be pointless. There was still time left on the clock so he didn't want to give up.

[You can't go any further, partner. You are at your limit]

"… I don't care! I can't give up," Issei groaned and tried to pull his body up, but failing. "I need to beat him up or Koneko-chan will be sent to that horrible place."

The ground beneath his left hand shifted as a small Kunai emerged below. It pierced into the Sacred Gear and entered fully along with its metallic-ring shaped body. Issei was oblivious to it as he pulled himself upright with renewed vigor. The jewels on his Sacred Gear glowed brightly as it was overflowing with powers.

[… This is strange… I feel very strange… different…]

Feeling the abundant energy at his disposal, Issei charged forward again as crimson metallic pieces materialized around him at everyone's surprise. The pieces then covered his body entirely before they began to interlock, granting full body armor with a matching armored dragon tail. Once every pieces were fully connected, Issei appeared to be in his Scale Mail, but far more menacing with reddish flickering and glowing aura.

[… You should not have the power to enter Juggernaut Drive yet. No… this isn't it either. It's something else entirely.]

"I don't care what it is! I'm going to beat him up with it!" Issei declared loudly. The booster on his back opened up as eight crimsons wings spread outward before blasting him forward at an extreme speed that looked like reddish blur to most spectators. His crimson aura erupted outward, shifting into bluish and washing over everyone in sight. The spectators, especially Satans, were speechless when they felt weaker once their powers were halved.

Naruto was stunned as well, and in that moment, an armored fist slammed into his face, sending him flying into the erected barrier, leaving a trail of reddish flames behind in his trajectory. It felt like he was punched by his father without holding back, but with his mother's flame power instead. His entire body was engulfed in an inferno instantly.

Everyone would have stared with shock at the bonfire that was Naruto, but the building where Koneko was held exploded outward, spraying chunky debris across the ground. They all turned toward the unexpected explosion as a black-haired girl flew out with large amounts of papers, spiraling in the air.

"Shirone… ?" Kuroka muttered as she landed on the ground when her attacker landed in front of her.

Koneko Toujou looked at her older sister with a devilish smirk before darkness swirled up from the ground and covered her small body entirely like a shadowy inferno. Menacing laugh filled the air before two specifically made hand guns emerged from beyond the black flames. They were held tightly by a long black-haired girl with crimson red eyes in a white suit. Lolicard pointed them at Kuroka.

"It's about time. I thought Nagato's intel was incorrect… this time around," Naruto muttered as he rubbed his bruised cheek when he put out the fire. Issei followed up his attack at an untraceable speed without a single thought while Naruto glowed bluish with static electricity.

Everything around him slowed down to the snail pace as mind processed the incoming information at an unmatched speed. Each millisecond passed felt like several minutes in his mindscape. "I don't know how you gain access to that kind of power, Sekiryuutei, but I don't have time to play around right now."

"Speed Amplification," Naruto muttered lowly to himself before he sidestepped to avoid the incoming attack flawlessly. He then lifted his right hand above him, forming a fist, as Issei passed through where he was previously at. "Strength Amplification."

With a one hand hammer smash downward, Issei slammed directly into the ground causing fissures to erupt across the landscape from the collision. As if a moon size object just crashed into the earth, the entire area shook heavily. The ground beneath everyone retreated downward to form a massive crater with Issei in its center, causing many people to fall into it. The crimson armor then broke apart from the blow, revealing the unconscious Issei underneath.

Naruto gave a brief look at the brown-haired boy while he materialized his bat-like wings. The pulsing pain in his right hand captured his attention. He winced as it was broken in several places from the reaction force alone. Without anymore examination, he switched the Aura of Amplification to enhance his natural regeneration, allowing the broken arm to heal almost instantly. Once the limb returned to perfect condition, he turned to see Lolicard and Kuroka as his headache intensified.

Lolicard was about to shoot the girl, but she felt an immerse force pressed against every millimeter of her body almost instantly. It was strong enough to turn her entire body into a splatter of blood, spraying it to the side before Kuroka.

Naruto saw Lolicard got "killed" as he rubbed his temple. He realized the headband was no longer wrapped around his forehead. It must have been burnt off when Issei turned him into a ball of fire. He wasn't sure how that was possible as the onyx headband should be immune to all kind of flames, but his mind was occupied with another important matter. Flying to the outside of the barrier, he vanished in a crimson flash directly to the SS-Class Criminal.

"You're under arrest, Kuroka," Naruto announced. He was about to grab and pummel her into the ground, but she jerked back on reflex. The golden bell around her neck chimed in the evasive maneuver, sending out an oddly familiar sound. The tune it made was captured by his ears. He immediately dropped to his knee as he held his head in pain.

"Ugh… !?" Naruto groaned as random flashes entered his mind. He panted heavily and shook his head vigorously, trying to clear it away. He pulled himself up and tried to grab the nekoshou again, but she stepped away. "Stop… you're…"

The countless paper tags in the air swirled around her before flying away.

Kuroka realized she was set up as they'd abandoned her. She quickly thought of plausible way to escape with her own power, but the constant tune from the golden bell had stopped her. She touched it as it made another sound while the pool of blood nearby trying to reform back into a person again. Hundreds of ice spears formed in the air, pointing directly toward her. She pondered if she should fight or surrender, but it more than certainly she would die if she chose to fight.

"Kuro…-chan, why did you leave…? Where did you go…? Was I a bad Master…?" Naruto muttered a string of questions like a lost and confused child while neuron pathways within his mindscape were being reconnected rapidly. He closed his eyes slowly as his consciousness was slipping away. He finally collapsed forward onto pair of hands as she gave him support.

"No, you weren't… Kuro-chan didn't leave, Kuro-chan is always here with you nya…" Kuroka muttered as she embraced the sleeping blond tightly like she used to. Esdese was about to assault the nekoshou, believing Kuroka had done something to Naruto. Unfortunately, an enormous weight pressed upon her body and she crashed into the ground along with all the hovering ice spears she created.

Shiroka seemed to teleport directly to the black-haired woman and gave a hug from behind with a bright smile upon her face.

"I have finally meet you, Nee-sama," Shiroka called out.

**– to be continued –**


	6. Black and White (5)

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is a work of fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**=[Black and White]=  
5**

The golden bell bounded to a collar chimed as the black-cat brushed it with her paw. The tune the small musical instrument emitted changed every time it jingled as it was designed to do so. The cat looked up at its master after it stopped batting with the bell. Its master narrowed his bright blue eyes at it with a hint of confusion.

"Who…?" Naruto mumbled and averted his eyes from the feline creature sitting on top of the table right in front of him. He leaned against his chair and blinked several times before giving an examination of the immediate surroundings from the white, creamy ceiling downwards and quickly scanning the interior of the room he was currently resided in.

It was a massive library.

The room he was in housed all of his wealth of knowledge. The library his father had built so he could get some form of education was the room he'd spent most of his time in during childhood. Whenever he wasn't training with his father or pranking his mother, he would be found in this very room, absorbing information and dreamed of a world beyond the confines of his secluded home. It counted as his second bedroom since he usually dozed off after a good story.

"Why am I here?" Naruto asked himself as his eyes landed back on the small cat. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out whose cat this was. He knew his parents did not keep any kind of pets, and no one ever visited his hidden home, making growing up in such place very, very lonely. Thus, by the process of elimination, this cat must belong to him. The feline creature stared up at him with a pair of golden eyes while its two tails flexed from side to side as if it was waiting obediently.

"Ku... Ku…" Naruto said while rubbing his temple as a headache manifested itself. He repeated the word several more times while his head throbbed in pain. The surrounding library distorted and shifted as he snapped his eyes shut and shook his head in distress.

"Kuro-chan? You are Kuro-chan," Naruto claimed as he recalled the last thing before he found himself in this place. "You are my… why…? Why did I ever forget about you…?"

"Hey! Hey! Are you hungry, Kuro-chan?" A familiar voice said. It was his, but softer.

Hearing his own voice, Naruto slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noted was the feline creature was no longer sitting on the table in front of him. Further away from the desk on the opposite side of him and next to the doorway, a boy with spiky blond-haired cuddled the small creature in his arms while stroking along its head. It purred in response to its master's affectionate touches.

"This is…" Naruto said as he got off his chair. He noted that the atmosphere in the library had changed greatly. Books were lying all over the floors, exactly like how he had placed them many years ago. "Did I somehow travel back in time?"

He pinched himself on the cheek. Beside the throbbing headache, he could not feel any other feeling of distress regardless how much strength he had used. "This isn't a dream either or I would have woken up already. A memory then…? A memory that I don't recalled?"

His younger self grinned and placed the cat on top of his head before marching out the doorway while cheering and announcing his intention loudly like a thirteen years old he was. "Let's raid the kitchen and blame it on dad!"

Naruto shook his head and followed the young boy as he passed along the emptied hallway leading to the kitchen. His home wasn't that massive compared to most places he had seen since he left his home to follow his promise, but it was far too big for only three people – his parents and him. Since no guests ever dropped by to chat, he had never met and befriended anyone his age.

He had never had what he called a childhood friend.

In the kitchen, his younger self raid the cabinets, drawers and fridge for anything editable. It did not take him long to make quite a mess on the dining table before settling on a sealed carton of milk. He opened the carton, spilling some on the floor in the process, before draining from the torn opening he created at the top selfishly while the small cat named Kuro-chan on his head meowed.

"Ah sorry, Kuro-chan," the boy apologized placed the carton on the table. He swiped his hand across it and the top part separated like a hot invisible knife passed through it. The slashed edge of the carton glowed like ember. Luckily, the carton didn't engulf in flames like before, setting the entire kitchen on fire.

"Yay! I got better at it," the blond-haired boy called out proudly, fisting both his hands in the air.

Naruto, who stood by the side, sweat dropped at his younger counterpart. He could see a deep slash burned into the wall and wanted to smack the idiot for damaging the kitchen recklessly. Burning blade was one of his mother's attacks, which she used to torture her bounded victim, by which he meant his father.

His mother rarely taught him any combats techniques since it was his father's job. It wasn't because she didn't want to. It was more due to her conscious fear of him – her only child – blowing himself up while channeling his inherited powers. Her magic was quite explosive and required intense emotions to fuel them. His magic stemmed from the power of incineration was even more violent capable of setting the entire landscape on fire.

"Uh oh, mum's not going to like that," Naruto said and stared at the scotched wall. "Why didn't I just use a knife instead?"

"Yes, why didn't you, you dumbass?" Naruto asked and instinctively rubbed his neck as the feeling of strangulation by his mother whenever he disobeyed her reminded him of his mischievous nature. She didn't stop such punishment until he was too big to be strangled by her small hands and far too fast for her to capture with her energy chains.

Unknowing to Naruto, Kuroka thought the same question as well as she blinked at the damaged wall her little master had made. Her little master tended to do whatever he felt like doing when it involved minor things. Destroying rooms was actually a minor thing in this household, and it gave his father something to do. She leaped off his head and landed on the table by the carton with grace.

Naruto watched the creature dipped its tongue into the milky, watery surface, tasting the liquids. It then proceeded to consume the offering with good pace while one of its tails pointed at the items scattered on the table and the other pointed at the opened cabinets and drawers as if it was an unspoken order.

"Eh? Why only me? You should help too!" the young Naruto called out. His pet paused and looked up at him. It golden eyes glinted. They stared at each other for a full minute before he admitted his defeat. "I swear I'm going to win one day, believe it!"

Kuro-chan meowed and returned to her meal.

By the side, Naruto arched his brow while his younger self proceeded to return the items on the table back into its original storage – only some of them. Most of items were misplaced since his younger self wanted to finish it quickly. Frozen items were stash inappropriately. Once everything was done, the cat returned back on top of its master's head and pointed at several places in the room as hints. His younger self pouted, grunted and moaned, but followed the creature's instruction at returning items to their proper position nonetheless.

Naruto chuckled and walked around the kitchen while wondering which one was the actual master in the relationship they had. He didn't admit he was envious. Having such a childhood would have been a great fun. He then noted that his mother was watching him – his younger self – from the small opening in the doorway. She smiled at her son before frowning at something else and closed the door.

Naruto, out of curiosity to why his mother was frowning, approached the door. He opened the door to peak through, but found nothing except whiteness on the other side. He pursed his lips and passed to the other side before blinking at the new setting. His younger self was leaning against the window while Kuro-chan curled up by the wooden ledge. Both were staring at the small garden outside where glowing magical circles carved into the cavern ceiling emulated daylight.

His parents were arguing in the garden, but no sounds could be heard.

"Ah, mum and dad is arguing again," his young self said and yawned. "They argue a lot lately. I wonder what they are arguing about."

Kuro-chan meowed weakly. She wasn't as energetic as before.

Naruto didn't recall this moment in his memory at all, which bothered him. He tried to listen in on what his parents was arguing about, but no sounds could be heard from either of them. He noted that there was a wall of vacuum surrounding them, making none of their voice could be heard. Such a problem did not stop him from reading their lips, however.

"I really don't understand, Kushina," Minato said with a heavy sigh. "He is cheerful so why does it matter at all? Don't you want our son to be happy?"

"Of course I do," Kushina retorted, gritting her teeth. She then waved her hand at the general direction of their home as an indication. "I can overlook the age difference. I can even overlook the fact that she was ordering him around, but I cannot overlook at what she is."

"Now, now, you're just being unreasonable," Minato responded slowly and calmly. "You're part Youkai too, you know. Just because you have a problem with your grandfather, you shouldn't group all of them together. It's like humans grouping all of us as evil – which isn't true."

"He is not my grandfather –ttebane!" Kushina growled. She was on the verge of getting violent as the air around her became wavy. "And I'm a full blooded devil! My son, your son, is a full blooded devil."

"I don't think Naruto cared about all of that if you actually asked him," Minato said and raised his hands defensively. "He had read enough about the world to understand tolerance. He finds it fractionating that so many different types of humans could work together in unity to bring a better world. And whether he was or wasn't of pure blood, he still is our son. I would still love him the same and I know you would too - that would extend to our grandchildren."

"Grandchildren!?" Kushina uttered.

"Yeah," Minato said. "Like you always wanted, Kushina."

"I will kill her!" Kushina bellowed and stomped the ground. Tremors shook the entire area. Rocks began to chip off from the ceiling, falling through the superheated air, leaving a distorted line in their path.

Minato tackled his wife before she could go and do what she just said. "Calm down, Kushina. She wasn't trying to seduce our son or anything like that. I was just saying that I don't really mind having her as a daughter-in-law if she ever regained her true form again."

"I am calm so let me go," Kushina demanded while blasts of heat emanated from her body. The plants around the small garden withered in the deathly temperature.

"…" Minato paused and slowly let his wife go. He helped her off the ground despite being badly burnt in the process. He then checked his pocket and took out a photo. "Pulling some favors, I managed to get a couple good images from previously recorded rating games. This is what Kuroka looked like before she was sealed in her current form."

Kushina scanned the image and narrowed her eyes. "You think she looks pretty?"

"Yeah, I do," Minato said. "She wore really revealing clothing during the game and at the moment, I don't think she is wearing any form of attire at all. If it wasn't for her current status as criminal, I'm sure her pictures would still be in circulation."

"That slut must die," Kushina quipped and turned the photo into ash with a burst of fire. She dashed towards the house afterwards. She was able to avoid her husband's attempt to grab her a few times before being forced crashing into the ground. She struggled against his strong grips while rolling across the dirt with him. Her shouts quickly became giggles.

"Awwww, they're not fighting anymore," the young Naruto said with disappointment. He didn't hear what they were saying, but he had seen enough to know they weren't going to fight. He wanted them to fight since he could steal techniques while they were at it. He then left the window's side, causing the imagery outside to fade away.

"I wonder what great grandfather did to make mother despised him," Naruto questioned with a deep frown. He looked at Kuro-chan, who was still staring outside, while thinking about the titanic nine-tails fox that brought forth disasters. Myths had spoken of it at the dawn of the Youkai's race eons ago thus making it extremely power as their kind became more powerful as they aged.

"Hey! Are you coming, Kuro-chan?" the young Naruto called out. "If you don't, you can take the bath by yourself."

Naruto watched the feline creature hesitated for a couple of seconds. After the moment of hesitation passed, it raced after its young master. A soon as the young master exited the room, the room distorted and replaced with grassy uneven ground and purple sky of the underworld.

He was standing at one of many battlegrounds of war long passed. The scars were still there, scattering about in gigantic holes. Most devils stayed away from such area since development was far more taxing than its worth – at least not until the devil races repopulated fully once more. He watched the new set of memory in earnest.

"Kuro-chan, use scratch," his younger self commanded with a wide grin as his father tried to pull the cat off of him without trying to hurt it.

"Naruto, stop messing around and train properly!" Minato demanded once he teleported away from the feline. It quickly returned to its master's side.

"We're not messing around, dad," his son retorted. "We are training, aren't we, Kuro-chan?"

"You called that training?"

"Yep! Ever heard of team work? It is awesome! Kuro-chan and me is a team, we're going to kick so many asses together, including yours," his son said and pumped his arms in the air.

"Oh really?" Minato snorted as lightning crackled around him. "Let's see how well your little team work holds up."

"Oh shit, dad got serious," the young Naruto shouted and avoided the first strike with pure luck. In doing so, Kuro-chan and he got separated. "Let's bolt and regroup!"

Naruto watched his younger self flipped and dashed to the side while Kuro-chan did the same, but on the opposite side. His father, who was still at his physical max since Ophis did not trash him yet, snorted loudly at their so called attempt to engage him on both fronts.

Naruto admitted that the tactics while simplistic worked well on his father. His younger self engaged his father first, allowing Kuro-chan assault from the blind spots. Its attacks did not do any lasting damage, annoying at worst, and distracting at best. Distraction allowed his younger self to land blows against his father – blows with intention to kill.

Minato had to stop restraining as much to stop himself from getting bested by his young son and his so called partner. They were hardly partner in combat since against a real opponent; Kuro-chan would be eliminated first. He should get rid of the cat first since those punches were beginning to hurt. Lightning crackled around his fist as he unleashed a blow against the cat.

"Minato!" Kushina shouted from the side, causing him to tense up.

"Dad," Naruto uttered as he noted his father forgot to hold back against such a fragile target. To his surprise, however, his younger self blocked the blow by teleporting between his father and the feline creature. The blow impacted before the boy could put up his guards and blasted him into the earth, driving up clouds of dust.

"Ouch…" his younger self grunted since several ribs was cracked. His head was bleeding badly since it impacted against the hard earth first.

Before Minato could blink at what he had done, he was doubled kicked from the side by his wife before pummeling onto the ground with chains repeatedly. "Wait stop, I'm didn't mean it!"

"Didn't mean it? You almost kill my son, you bastard," Kushina bellowed furiously while her husband braced for impacts after impacts.

Meanwhile, Kuro-chan meowed sadly and licked the wound on her master's forehead as he chuckled and laughed, brushing off his injuries as a minor things.

"Hey, cheer up. I'm feeling better already, Kuro-chan," Naruto said, overlaying the voice of his younger self. "With you by my side, I'm invincible, believe it!"

His younger self laughed loudly and happily despite the physical trauma he was feeling while Naruto touched his cheeks and brushed his fingers against them. He then rubbed the liquids that had soaked his fingertips before covering his eyes with his palm.

"Why did I forget?" Naruto uttered. He only remembered the lonely childhood without a single friend by his side while the real one was far more beautiful.

**– to be continued –**


	7. Black and White (6)

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is a work of fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**=[Black and White]=  
6**

The numerous circular symbols patterned onto the ceiling above glowed faintly, simulating the day and night cycle of the Underworld as best as they could. Gazing at them lazily from the rooftop below was a blond-haired child, lying on his back in a relaxing manner. Resting on top of his lower chest was a small black cat. Its two tails stroke back and forth along his abdomen while its golden eyes remained closed.

Sitting by the boy's side, Naruto frowned thinly while rubbing his head in discomfort. The headache had intensified with each new piece of memory he was able to see. There were simply too many things to view in such a short span amount of time. And while most of these memories were rather pointless, he could not discard them to free the burden on his mind.

These memories made up his childhood, the precious childhood that he seemed to have forgotten. He would not give them up for anything, and yet somehow he did not remember. His frown deepened as he cocked his head to the side. Seeing his younger, free-spirited self leisurely lying about made him missed those days.

Sadly, those carefree days were long passed. He was no longer a carefree child, and the laws he swore to uphold was the path he had chosen.

"I wonder what the sun feels like," his younger self asked while raising his right hand, outstretching his palm at the rocky ceiling. At the boy's behest, flames manifested and energetically swirled into a fiery, rotating sphere about the size of a baseball. Warm and heat radiated at an increasing rate as the ball of fire levitated off his palm and drifted upwards slowly. It soon joined by a few more spheres in various sizes.

Naruto watched those miniature suns in silent. He remembered the feeling. For his entire childhood, he had never seen the natural giant ball of fire high up in the sky. The only place that he could see it was in the human world, but the human world was off limit. In truth, such limit had never stopped him before, but he simply did not know how to get there with his ability back then. So he could only recreate them from the books he had committed to memory as a child.

When he was able to leave his home to carve out his own path, to carry out his promise, he had seen the sun. It wasn't as beautiful as he thought it would be. Something was simply missing, and he'd never been able to understand what was missing.

The small feline creature on boy's chest purred and opened one of its golden eyes. It gave a glance at the miniature suns hovering dangerously nearby. Despite the size of the fiery spheres, it knew better. To touch them would invite trouble since each ones had enough energy within them to vaporize a sizeable chunk of the house and the surrounding area, and their volatile nature made them unpredictable. It about to remind its young master about his careless nature, but a hand patted its head, causing its head to bob up and down. It squirmed and batted the hand away before scratching its master's chest lightly.

"Hey! Hey! You're destroying my shirt, Kuro-chan," the young Naruto chuckled. He then poked one of the spheres, causing it to move safely away from his pet. "You must have never seen a real sun either, but this is the best I can do. Maybe one day we can watch the sun rise and set together. They say it is very beautiful. What do you say? Want to?"

"Is it really?" Naruto questioned while the cat meowed as a confirmation. He then sighed and tried to touch one of the spheres, but they went right through his hand. "Maybe it's not the sun that I wanted to see. You and I were inseparable, so why did I forget?"

"It's a promise then," his younger self said with a wide smile.

"Naruto! Damn it! I have told you not to make them near the house!" a young woman shouted from the ground. "Don't' you remember what happen when one of them touches the wall?"

Hearing his name, Naruto leaned over the edge to see his mother while his younger self remained at his spot, completely unbothered by the scolding. His mother growled vexingly at the lack of responses, and with a single leap off the ground, she landed on the rooftop.

"Are you listening to me!?" Kushina shouted. Her hand fisted, readying to brawl.

"Of course, Kaa-sama," the young Naruto said calmly and stared up at his mother. "I tried to response, but your voice overwhelms mine. Maybe if you just talk normally, you might able to hear me answering you. So it's really is your fault."

"Don't be a smart ass!" Kushina growled and leered at the surrounding. The spheres were shrinking in size with several of them already dissipated as if they ran out of energy. "By the way, did you finish you chore? You won't get any lunch if you didn't. It's already pass noon, you know."

The boy yawned and stretched his arms and legs while remained laidback. "If I don't eat, I won't have any energy during the evening, and without energy I won't able to defend myself. Dad might seriously injure me on accident because I was too hungry to fight back, and then you will blame dad even though it was your fault for not feeding me – ouch!"

"I said, don't be a smart ass," Kushina said as she whacked her son's over the head. "I'm sure you can go on without eating anything for days, but can Kuro-chan?"

"No, not Kuro-chan!" the young Naruto shouted in alarm. He hugged his cat tightly and pointed his index finger at his mother. "Don't you hurt Kuro-chan, you monster!"

"How dare you call me a monster?" Kushina bellowed and whacked her son across the head. "Kuro this, Kuro that, one day, Kuro will be gone, and what will you do then? Tell me?"

"Kuro will be gone? No way! Kuro-chan will never leave me! We will be together forever," the young Naruto responded while rubbing his head. "And I already finished my chores. That is why I'm up here, waiting for dad to return. And why do you always hit me for no reason?"

"Then learn to dodge," Kushina responded and whacked her son over the head once more to hide her embarrassment. She tried to whack him again, but her son actually dodged this time around. That got her furious and strapped him down with her fiery chains. "Do you think you can dodge me?"

"Of course I can. I'm as strong as dad!" the young Naruto asserted while rolling away. But with his legs and arms bounded tightly by the energy chains, he couldn't slow down and rolled towards the edge of the rooftop. "Ahh… Mum! I can't stop! Mum, help!"

Naruto, who stood nearby, shook his head at his mother chased after his younger self, only to learn that he had teleported back up on top. In her haste, she fell off the rooftop and crashed into the ground with a shriek. At which point, the roof was scorched badly with a fireball.

"Na-ru-to!?" Kushina growled as her red hair glowed ominously. Blast of heat surged forwards, washing over the area. "How dare you trick your own mother? I'm going to roast you!"

"Oh shit, mum is really pissed, let's get out of here before she goes boom!" his younger self called out and tried to break free from the binding, but it was too strong. The restraining technique was designed to capture someone much more powerful than him like his dad, and therefore, it was impossible for him to break free with his current power. After a few attempts, he blinked and stared at his cat, which was sitting nearby, licking her paws, completely unchained.

"Eh!? How did you get out?" his younger self asked while jerking and bouncing. "Show me how to break free!"

Kuro-chan meowed and continued to lick her paws before walking away. She wasn't about to teach her young master how to break free from the binding belonging to the hothead Kushina. That would make her more of a target than she was, and besides, he would figure it out eventually one day.

Naruto, who watched her, shook his head lightly. "I should have known back then. How could someone who mastered Senjutsu be someone's pet?"

"Kuro-chan! Wait for me!" the young Naruto called out before his mother grabbed him and lifted him up off the ground. He sweat dropped when his head was slowly turned around. "Ummm… I surrender? Let me surrender!"

Naruto sighed and leaned back against the rooftop while his mother torturing his younger self. He knew she wouldn't inflict any lasting injuries on his person regardless of how annoyed she was. His moments with his mother could be said to be one of his better memories. Without pranking her, the house he was raised up in would be very uneventful. Even his father admitted that she brought spices to his life, but he might be a masochist at heart.

Naruto rolled to side and stared at the feline, who wasn't looking at him. He exhaled and smiled as the cat waited patiently. "I wonder when we first separated, Kuro-chan… or should I say Kuroka? And from what the memories had shown me, my mother doesn't like you very much, but she doesn't like anyone getting close to me in general, just like Shiroka. Maybe it's a jealousy thing?"

"Jealousy?" Naruto mused as he realized Shiroka was always around whenever he was with an eligible maiden, including the childish Maou. He then pursed his lips. He thought about the blond-haired little girl that called herself his younger sister. He had never had an opinion on that, and as long as she did not cause any trouble, he would let her be. His mother warming up her, no longer distracting him with her pestering wasn't a bad thing either.

Despite Shiroka's adorable appearance, she wasn't a little kid, he knew. Her demeanor and mannerism was childlike, but her actions and thoughts process had told him otherwise. She had something to do with the emergence of his memories, he surmised. "Could all these memories be faked?"

The thought paralyzed him. It felt real, but any emotions could be simulated to perfection. His oceanic blue eyes became intense. Even if he was now grown fond of the little sister he never had, no one was allowed to tamper with his mind. He rolled back on his back and closed his eyes. His body crackled with lighting and he begun to dwell deep into his subconscious. It was something that he had never done before because that was no reason to.

Countless images flown passed his mind before only blackness remained. He opened his eyes and stared at the blackness. "This is my earliest memory? Blackness…? No… something is blocking me…"

Naruto grunted and held his head in pain. "Was my memory been tampered with!?"

Angered, lighting crackled all over his body, trying to break through the barrier that halted his way. He shook his head while his powers tried to pull something locked deep in his psych. Fissure of lights began to form around him. Beyond the light was filled with colors. When the opening became big enough, he reached out towards it all.

"Show me what I have forgotten!" Naruto roared as the entire world around him shook and rumbled violently. The blinding light exploded forth, forcing him to close his eyes.

"Nya, if you desired it so, master. We can stay like this forever," Naruto heard the familiar voice echoing around him. He blinked rapidly and opened his eyes slowly. He then focused them while the surrounding began to fill in.

"We cannot while there is a battle to be fought," Naruto heard himself responded. The person he was seeing was his older self from the height and hairstyle alone. His golden blond hair was darker, longer. It was caked with dirt along with traces of blood. He looked very tired.

"So I'm seeing the future now? Memory of the future…?" Naruto asked himself and dismissed it almost immediately. There was no way – logically speaking – that he was seeing the future. He quickly checked the black-haired girl, wearing a kimono bounded with golden metallic rings, standing by his older self. Her golden eyes saddened as she was patted on the head by what he assumed to be her master.

"Why is all the memory revolving around Kuroka?" Naruto questioned while circling the couple with great curiosity. There was no one nearby. He then examined the strange purple sky of the Underworld above. He had never seen it so clouded before. It was artificially made, so unless someone wanted it to be a cloudy sky, it would remain clear and bright. He tried to reason why it was cloudy at the moment, but his head was throbbing painfully. Bloods dripped onto the grass beneath his feet, telling him he was damaging his mind.

"Why do you call me, master, Kuroka? You are mine and once a teacher, will always be," his older self said. The man took a long moment before removing his hand from her head. She tried to grab it, but he gracefully moved it beyond her reach. "I'm sorry that I couldn't reciprocate your feelings despite what you have done for me. I already given this life to her, and even if she is gone, this life belongs to her."

"But you will die… Naru… Master," Kuroka called out. She collapsed onto the ground. "If you go, you will die! Why would you choose death over me?"

"Do you think that I choose death over you?" he asked and looked towards the horizon. Naruto followed the gaze and noted something dreadful in the distant. He finally heard and saw explosions erupted high into the sky. The titanic creature blasted mountains apart with a flick of its many massive limbs while the sky swirled violently nearby, raining lightning upon the world.

"What the fuck is that?" Naruto asked, but realized his outburst was pointless. No one could hear or see him. All he could do was watching helpless as the earth was ripped apart.

"I choose life, Kuroka," his older self said. He began to glow brightly as dark lines ran across his body. He drawled in a deep breath as his eyes flickered with electricity. "If I can only save one person, I rather it be you. Live for me, too, yeah?"

"Master!" Kuroka called out, but he vanished in a bolt of lightning. In an instant, the beast roared as it was hammered to the side. She ran forwards while Naruto collapsed from the headache. The pain was becoming too much, yet, he wanted to understanding what was happening. How come something like this was locked deep in his subconscious?

"No, not yet…" Naruto said and stared at the back of the black-haired Nekoshou. He saw her looking at the battle in the distant for almost a second before she ran towards it – towards certain death. "What the fuck is going on here… Ugh… shit… my head…"

Blinding light enveloped his entire vision before fading away. Naruto grunted as soon as a new memory appeared. He immediate noted that he was in midair while trying to keep his eyes open. He manifested his wings quickly, trying to remain airborne. He zoomed to the side in order to avoid a several collapsing buildings. Glasses from shattered windows fell like rains onto the rubbles below. Once cleared of those buildings, he flew high into the sky to get his bearing. The natural giant ball of fire high above him was in a deep shade of red while the city below was engulfed in flames.

Naruto was shocked. "This is… the human world!?"

The furious roar behind him forced him to turn around. Bounded by several glowing chains, the titanic beast with a single eye and almost a dozen tails growled angrily at its puny restrainer, a golden-haired young boy with a pair of golden slit eyes. He was panting heavily as blood stream along his arms, using numerous scars in his flesh as guides. To the opposite side of him a large beast with characteristics from many creatures on earth. It was also restrained by hundreds of fiery chains protruding from his small body.

"This is your greatest weakness, Naruto. You care for the weak far too much," a caped person said while hovering above the sky, seemingly unaided. The space behind him rippled and distorted. "I admit that I did not expect you to restrain two divine beasts with that power, but it leaves you vulnerable."

"This boy is me?" Naruto asked. "This is getting very confusing… I was older in the last memory. Why am I younger… what looked like I'm currently embracing my Youkai bloodline? Mum would not like that at all…"

"Vulnerable? I still have enough strength to kick your ass," the young boy said before clenching his teeth. The chains that he had manifested were pulling his body apart by the monstrous creatures he was trying to restrain. His fist strengthened as he held onto them, stopping them from slipping away from him.

"I doubt that," the caped person said. Hesitant was noted in his voice.

"You don't believe me? Come closer and see it yourself, you coward," the young boy taunted. Lightning crackled over his body while the chains glowed brighter, burning the two titans in his trap. "Always using others to do all your dirty work; are you really that strong at all?"

"My power is beyond you," the caped person snorted. He raised his hand as the distorted space behind him erupted. A red claw surged forwards and clamped onto the edge of the opened rift. "Let's see if you can stop a third one."

The dimensional rift was torn apart to let the massive red dragon through. Its eyes were filled with rings as it stared down at the worn out blond-haired boy. The hovering cloaked man waved his hand towards boy as a silent command. The intense air blast emanated from its jaw flattened everything below before it surged forwards with speed betraying its massive body.

"You stupid ass dragon, and you said no one can control you. If I survive this, I will kick your ass," the boy shouted as dozens chains spewed out of his flesh. The ends of the chain morphed into sharp spears and pierced through the dragon's armors all the way to the other side. The end curved around and becomes claws as it embedded itself into the dragon's flesh. Once done, it slammed to the dragon into the earth below, locking it into place.

"Impressive," the caped person mocked by clapping his hands slowly. Another rift began to form behind him. Beyond it was absolute darkness, which seemed to be spilling out. "Three divine beasts, but you are at your limit, Naruto."

"This is bullshit," the young boy shouted and coughed heavily. He was more annoyed than actual fearful at what was hidden in the shadow. "How could you control so many?"

"I told you, my power is beyond you," the caped person said. He raised his finger towards the sky. "Just a bit more and all six divine beasts are under my control. For a God to use four against you, you should be honored."

"Squishy God," the boy insulted and coughed. Naruto could see that this version of him was burning away his life to sustain the technique. He tried to help, but once again, his hand passed through all that he tried to touch.

"Damn it," Naruto cursed and cover one of his eyes to stop the bleeding from within. At that moment, the chains in the boy's hand weakened and slowly pulled apart before breaking completely. He flew to the child, trying to grab him, but he failed. The boy landed onto the ground with a heavy thud as three beasts shook their massive body, breaking free from their restrain.

They were about to finish him off, but the caped man stopped them with a gesture. He descended to the child and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground. "I told you, my power is beyond you, Naruto."

"Yeah, yeah," the boy coughed. His twin tails elongated and wrapped around the caped man tightly as his body glowed. "I'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I do."

"Foolish," the caped man responded and tried to free his hand. He widened his eyes when the child in his grip covered with lightning. He increased his grip, choking the child, but that was in vain. "Wait, wait. If you do that, you will die too."

"Are you afraid of death? Is the mighty God afraid of death?" the boy mused and gripped the wrist that held his neck. "You think my friends make me weak? Don't fuck with me. They are the reason that you are able to live until now. Without them, I will turn you to ash! I will burn your soul until there is not a single speck left!"

Naruto covered his eyes as the child glowed brightly. His aura erupted, climbing beyond any bounded limit. His father power was amplifying his mother's power far beyond any boundary. The power of a billions supernova was pale in comparison. "That's –

Before he could say the second word, burst of flames burst forwards. Everything came into contact with it reduced to atoms before the atom splitting apart, producing unfathomed amount of raw energy. The three titanic monsters did not let out a single roar before they too were atomized in the magical inferno that engulfed the sky and land. Even as an astral entity and immune for all kind of flames, Naruto could feel the intense heat tried to reduce him into nothing along with the earth. The excruciating pain of being burn alive compounded with his massive headache quickly over take him, forcing him to black out.

"Ah, it's burn," Naruto screamed, thrashing about as if he was on fire. He was on fire. His flames spread across the ground, forcing most people to back away immediately. The only two people that did not jerk back were petite blond-haired girl and the black-haired woman.

"Master," Kuroka said, trying to stop her master from trying to roast everyone. She winced as her hands were scorched before she even touched him. Her attire was set alight, forcing her to remove it. With no fear, she grabbed him and held him against her chest tightly. Despite being burn badly, she rocked him as gently as she could.

"You are just having a nightmare nyan," Kuroka said. "But don't worry, little master, Kuro-chan is here nya."

"Kuro…chan?" Naruto muttered as his flames stopped spreading. He placed a hand on his head as it was still painful while trying to open his eyes. "A nightmare… yes… this is a very long nightmare. Why did you leave and left me in this terrible dream? I've always felt something was missing. There was a hole in me that cannot be filled."

Before Kuroka could answer Naruto, the area around her frozen solid. The dangerous flames turned into popsicles, freezing them exactly as they were. Killing intent erupted from Esdeath, who pulled herself off the ground. It was so much that everyone backed away from her comically.

"You bastard, what did you do to my cute Master?" Esdeath shouted and formed a massive ice spear in her hand. She strengthened her grip, causing the spear to shatter only to reform into a double axe – a grossly oversized one. "Answer me!"

"Don't threat Nee-sama!" the blond-haired small girl with golden eyes called and blocked the enraged general's path. A few people wanted to help the girl, but the way she conducted herself, their desire to do so vanished. "Or Shiro will get really, really mad."

"Get mad then, you pig squirt," Esdeath snorted and split the ground with a single swing. "I need to pay you back for making my uniform dirty. Just because Master favored you doesn't mean you can get away with everything."

Shiroka puffed up her cheeks. It became red as she fumed. "Shiro must not get mad. Kaa-san will be mad. Tou-san will laugh, but then lecture Shiro. Shiro can't get mad at Es-nee. Es-nee is too dumb to understand."

"What was that? Did you call me dumb? I will make you even more adorable," Esdeath said and lifted her massive axe, which was quickly forming into a scythe.

"Es-chan, shut up," Naruto ordered sternly. He didn't want to deal with Esdeath right now.

"Yes, sir," Esdeath responded and saluted. Her scythe went flying towards the only people that were still sitting, seemingly unfazed at what was happening around them.

"Can't we all get along? And Es-tan shouldn't pick on little kid, especially someone as adorable as Shiro-tan," Serafall said as she grabbed the scythe in air before Sirzechs could blast it into oblivion. "Shiro-tan, can I trade this for my staff back? It's bigger and sharper!"

"Brat, I'm going to freeze you," Esdeath cursed under her breath while Shiroka was given her weapon despite refusing to give Serafall back her wand. Serafall accepted a lollipop instead.

"Es-nee is scary," Shiro sobbed. "Nii-sama, Es-nee is scarying."

"Stop making scary face, Es-tan, you're scaring everyone," Serafall pointed out.

"Yeah, Es-nee should be more like Sera-nee," Shiro added before jabbing her fingers at Esdeath.

"You shut up too," Naruto scowled. He then glared at Shiro, who quickly hid behind Esdeath despite the latter threatened to harm her.

Serafall looked around and grinned before running back to her seat while Sirzechs rubbed his temple at the current dilemma, muttering: "Did you have fun?"

Esdeath sighed and ordered her brother to get her hat, which he hastily did while Ajuka Beelzebub give a brief glance at the two siblings since Falbium was long asleep. He then returned to his thoughts since this drama wasn't going to end anytime soon.

Naruto sighed and break free from embrace he was in. He was about to say something when his eyes widened. She was badly burn as scorch marks were all over her body. Panic set in as he raised his hand to call a nearby healer to him.

Asia would have come immediately, but she was too occupied with healing Issei, who was waking up from his last beating. The brown-haired boy was surrounded by his comrades, minus Koneko. She was still nowhere to be found.

Kuroka simply smirked and pulled herself up, completely disregarding her current appearance. "Are you concern for me, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes while taking notice of the devils watching him from the corner of his eyes. He then got off the ground and stood before her while his uniform flustering back and forth. He muttered the oath he took and the law he swore to uphold. No one was free from its restrain, not even the Maous themselves – and not even him, its enforcer.

"Until you are sentenced, you are not allowed to die, SS-Criminal Kuroka," Naruto said calmly and coldly while clenching his hands tightly. "Therefore, your wounds must be healed."

There was whispering among the nobles while Shiroka attempted to heal Kuroka's injury.

"Shiro will have you back in no time, Nee-sama!" Shiroka said. And like she said, the wounds Kuroka sustained vanished as if they weren't there at all. Even her clothes were back on her despite some of the objections from the bystanders, followed by some growling by the female populations. The blond-haired girl then proceeded to pat down the speechless Nekoshou.

"Nya? Nya? Who might you be?" Kuroka asked.

"I'm Shiroka! S-h-i-h-o-r-a?k?" Shiro said while counting her fingers. "And you are Nee-sama. Nee-sama finally met Nii-sama. Shiro is happy, really, really happy, when will Shiro have a sibling?"

Kuroka was stunned at the question. "Nyahahahhahahahahahaha."

"This is unlike Naru-tan," Serafall commented softly while wanting to correct Shiro on her spelling. "As far as I know, SS-Criminals are to be executed on the spot. Oh! Naru-tan likes her ~!"

"Naruto-kun is in a difficult position," Sirzechs noted thoughtfully. He cocked his head to the side lightly and continued. "I think he will soften up now that he has finally found that special someone, don't you think so, Grayfia-san?"

Sirzechs saddened when he remembered he told Grayfia to stay home since he didn't want her getting arrested again for kicks. He was sure Naruto was doing it for kicks despite whatever charges were filed against her. Strict as Naruto may be once he got his post, he wasn't stupid enough to think the wife of the reigning Maou would be a criminal. Still, once time was enough. He missed her dearly when she was imprisoned – which she denied she ever was.

Naruto took in a deep breath once Shiroka finished whatever she was doing. "For the crime you have committed against your masters, before and after, you are hereby under arrest. There will be no trial due to your affiliation with the known terrorist organization, Khaos Brigade."

He lowered his head, taking in another breath. "Your execution will commence in 2 days from now. If you have anything to say, I suggest you say it now before… you can no longer."

There was a flickered of sadness in her golden eyes. Her cheerful expression vanished while Shiroka stared up at her brother.

"There is," Kuroka said. "What will happen to my sister?"

The mention of her sister caught the attention of Rias Gremory and her peerage. She wanted to know what will happen to her Rook. If it come to worst, she will challenge Naruto to a game as it can be used to overturn any verdict – except she would lose, but it was better than simply doing nothing while her beloved Rook was incarcerated.

"Shirone, now known as Koneko Toujou will… not be prosecuted," Naruto said and rubbed his cheek. He tilted his head towards the waking up Issei. "He managed to hit me, so therefore, she is free to go."

"Ararara, how corrupt," Akeno remarked with a sly smile while Rias nodded. "If I hit you, can you let Koneko's big sister go? If that doesn't suit you, we could work something out."

"I wouldn't push my luck, tainted one," Naruto said and paid attention at the fuming Shiroka. "Stop that, and please tell Tobi to give back Koneko before we forget."

As soon as Naruto requested, a masked boy emerged from the ground while giving everyone in the area the shivers. Carrying with him on both hands was an unconscious white-haired girl. "Tobi tried to be a good boy, Tobi really did, but she fought so Tobi had to knock her out."

The ghostly entity dropped the white-haired girl on the ground before floating away into the sky like he was no longer needed. The eerie feeling he radiated went with him as well.

"She is not dead is she?" Naruto asked nonchalantly, and before he could check, Kuroka rushed past him and went to her sister. She checked her pulse immediately and sighed with relief.

"Shirone," Kuroka whispered and hugged her sister for the first time in many years.

Naruto pursed his lips while he watched Kuroka displaying her affections. He smiled and paid attention to his own little sister. "You knew this would happen, didn't you, Imouto?"

Shiroka shook her head. "I, do not. I, only wanted Nee-sama to return to Nii-sama. Will Nii-sama execute Nee-sama?"

"What do think I should do?" Naruto said after a while. For the first time since he swore his oath, he was uncertain, and things were no longer as clear as they used to be just hours ago. The lords would demand her execution – that he did not doubt, and his relationship with her would only enforce that desire. He did not want the unyielding Akatsuki to be questioned because he did not have the strength to do what must be done.

"I do not know," Shiroka said. Her hand reached up and grabbed her brother's hand. She tightened her fingers around his. "Do what you feel is right, but Shiro does not want to disappear, Nii-sama."

**– To be continued –**


	8. Black and White (7)

**Melody of Memories **(NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

**Disclaimer: **This story is a work of fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

**=[Black and White]=  
7**

Naruto lowered his blue eyes and narrowed them at the blond-haired girl standing by his side. His hand gripped her smaller one, holding them in comfort while she watched the group of young devils. He'd pondered deeply on the connection he had with her. In her mind, he was her older brother, but to him, was she his little sister?

His mother seemed to think so, adoring her like her own flesh and blood – even more than when he was just a little kid under her devilish wings. He didn't mind his mother focusing her affection on Shiroka. She needed an outlet for her seemingly infinite motherly love anyway, and not having her smothering him at every turn was a devil-send. But from the recent comment Shiroka made, she implied her very existence hinged on Kuroka's own.

For them to be linked through causality meant they were related.

"Are you…?" Naruto asked, pondering if Shiroka was his daughter from the future. Time manipulation was a rare power, not an impossible one. Esdeath's magic affect the flow of time around her, enabled her to literally freeze the time of anyone she chose. The only reason he managed to beat that power was that his own counteracted her ice magic and overwhelmed it, preventing himself from freezing in time.

If time could be freeze then it could be accelerated or reversed.

Shiroka returned the gaze and smiled broadly. She shook her head and returned her golden eyes back onto Kuroka, who was caressing her younger sister. Rias Gremory along with the rest of her peerage surrounded the said girl, looking over Shrione, while Issei was beginning to come about thanked mostly to Asia's effort.

"Shiro is your little sister, Nii-sama," Shiroka assured, warningly. Her fingers curled around his hand and tightened. "Shiro is also Kuro-nee's sister. Without Kuro-nee and Nii-sama, Shiro does not exist."

"Does that mean Shirone is also your sister?" Naruto asked while taking in the information. He already knew the answer before he even asked.

"No, Nii-sama. Shirone is not related to Shiro," Shiroka answered as he expected. If Shirone, known as Koneko to her friends, was her sister then Shiroka would have told Tobi to not hurt Shirone under any circumstance. Tobi vowed to never make Shiroka sad. The fact that Tobi knocked Shirone out without worrying about Shiroka was enough evidence for Naruto.

"Is that so?" Naruto murmured quietly. He frowned thinly as what kind of relationship Shiroka had with Kuroka.

Could Kuroka and Shirone not blood related?

Their appearances – black and white – did give him doubt, but Youkai was a more diverse race than his own. Siblings didn't necessary be similar. He would have to check if they were – but would the answer confirmed what he believed about Shiro? It might and it might not. And if Shiroka was her sister as she claimed to be, her physique was closer to Shirone than Kuroka.

"Will you not tell me the truth?" Naruto asked as more questions surfaced in his mind. Everything felt so clouded where once was cleared as day. He did not wish to constantly doubt himself.

"I don't like being kept in the dark, Shiroka," Naruto continued. "And I don't like being played. I know you're the one who planned all of this. If you did not, you would not have bothered to come with me. I do not know exactly how you managed to trick her into showing up here, knowing the danger of being in the same spot with all four Maous, but I will assume that you have contact inside the Khaos Brigade, and that person is high enough to earn Kuroka's trust and friendship, but will abandon her at your say so. I sensed there was a demonic aura from those paper fliers you paid attention to. If I have to guess, that is your mole – an ultimate class devil."

"Nii-sama is scary," Shiroka commented, shivering lightly. She tried to remove her hand, but found she could not free herself. His grip strengthened while lighting crackled along his fingers. "Are you mad that Shiroka lured you here so you could meet Kuro-nee?"

"No… I'm not mad, not mad at all," Naruto said in a dark, grim tone. He was angry, but not at the reason she had asked. "If I was truly mad, you wouldn't still be standing here. And if I had to blame anyone, I'll blame myself. To be tricked and played mean I have not able to see the full picture and acted foolishly."

"Nii-sama is scary," Shiroka repeated. "Nii-sama wouldn't hurt Shiro… would you, Nii-sama?"

"Only if you were my enemy," Naruto said coldly. He narrowed his blue eyes at her. "Are you my enemy, Shiroka? Tell me the truth."

"I am not your enemy," Shiroka said with a wide cheerful smile. "Is that enough?"

"Yes," Naruto said and loosened his grip. He had not seen the full extent of her powers, but for Nagato to listen to her without questions meant she was as least as powerful as Nagato, and Nagato could be said as the most powerful devil he had ever come across. His mastery over attraction and repulsion of all things made him seemingly untouchable. "As long as you are not my enemy, I will not hurt you, my cute Imouto."

Shiroka giggled while Naruto leveled his eyes and leered at Ajuka Beezelbub, one of the four Satan. The man noticed his gaze despite his eyes was paying attention elsewhere. He gave a light nod. He then did a gesture in the air, indicating something.

Naruto frowned as he got the message. He turned his attention towards Kuroka before disappearing in a crimson flash of lightning. He materialized next to her along with Shiroka and Esdeath. Esdeath seemed to be disorientated.

"At least tell me when you do that, Naruto!" Esdeath growled as she fixed her hat. She jabbed towards her brother – her elder brother – and shouted: "Stop sleeping all the time!"

"Hmmm?" Falbium muttered as he heard his sister in his dream. He gestured a hand at Serafall, calling her to him. The girl tilted her head questioning, but leaned towards Falbium regardless. He whispered something into her ears.

"No! I'm not telling her that! And why did you tell me it!?" Serafall shouted. Her face went red.

"What did my brother say!?" Esdeath bellowed while Naruto face palmed. He knew what Falbium had whispered to Serafall without hearing it. It was the same thing he was told before Esdeath tried to kill him. He beat her up and made her his bishop.

"I can't say!" Serafall responded, but Esdeath glared at her as if she had killed someone precious. "I can't believe I have three mortal enemies now!"

"Much better," Falbium said and dozed off again. He wouldn't have to deal with his sister for a while. He also made a note to enlist his younger brother into the academy. The idiot had been playing around for far too long.

"Don't do anything stupid, Esdeath. And it's time to leave, Kuro-chan," Naruto said, paying his attention to Kuroka, who tried to wake up her unconscious sister. Tobi must have hit her pretty hard. "You will be kept at Akatsuki until your execution. Until then, you will be directly my responsibility."

Kuroka stared up at him – her master. Despite being apart, she still considered him as her one and only master. He had matured greatly in the years that gone by. "Can I have a little more time with Shirone, master? I promise I won't use it to come up with an escape plan nya."

"Let her go, Kuro-chan," Naruto refused and tilted his head towards Rias Gremory. "Your sister is in good hands. Gremory clan treats their servants like family no matter who they are. Even former enemies who out to kill them could become their mistresses and be pardoned of all crimes."

"Hey! Naruto-kun! I tried to kill her too!" Sirzechs Lucifer called out from across the field the instance his wife was mentioned. "And what crimes are you talking about!?"

"Sirzechs-chan shouldn't ear drop on Naru-tan," Serafall defended while paying much attention to the conversation while ignoring Esdeath's death threats. She was the last Maou to befriend Naruto, and the only one among the four to initiate the relationship since she couldn't wait for him to come to her – if he ever bothered to. Her job of dealing with foreign affair – although very important – did not provide any benefit to Akatsuki. They dealt only with devils and devils-related crime. Any other races were not their problem unless it threatened the unity of the Underworld like the Khaos Brigade.

Naruto ignored Sirzechs' outburst and placed his hand on Kuroka's shoulder. He gripped it lightly. "Don't worry, you will see your sister again, Kuro-chan."

"When will that be, master?" Kuroka asked softly and placed her hand over the back of his.

"Soon," Naruto said simply. He crouched down to her level, matching her eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Even if the world lied to Kuro-chan, Master never will – master promised," Kuroka answered with a big smile, showing her feline teeth. She then brushed her fingers and stroked her little sister's sleeping face one more time before handing Shirone to Rias Gremory. "If anything happens to my sister, I will never forgive you."

"Nothing will happen to her," Rias promised confidently. She looked at her peerages. They agreed with her promise. Their bond was as strong as family.

Naruto did not make any comment despite wanting to.

"I will never let anything happen to Koneko-chan," Issei called out. With what little strength he had left in his fatigued body, he pulled himself off the ground. Asia helped him while muttering his name. She could only heal his injuries, not his exhaustion. Whatever transformation he went through took a lot out of him.

Naruto sighed as he felt a sense of déjà vu while Shiroka stared blankly. It was just a few hours ago that Issei spewed the same thing, and despite getting beaten, the idiot didn't grow up at all. "What did I tell you about making empty promises, Sekiryuutei?"

"You didn't actually say anything, master," Esdeath remarked. She waved her hands dismissively when Naruto rolled his eyes at her. "You need to be stronger to back up your claim, Issei-kun. If you want to become the best, Onee-chan will teach you and maybe you can teach Onee-chan other – Ara? I think I made an enemy – three?"

Rias, Akeno and Asia glared at Esdeath. Their killing intents filled the surrounding.

"I'm scare," Gasper mumbled while hiding behind the silent Yuuto. Xenovia didn't join in the fun.

"It's not an empty promise," Issei called out and manifested his sacred gear, covering his hand. It wasn't the gauntlet of red dragon emperor he was familiar with. It was something else entirely. The blue gems surrounding red and black gauntlet radiated an aura that sapped the strength out of everyone, all while boosting his own.

"Divine Dividing…?" Kuroka gasped in shock. That power belonged to her current leader – not master – and bearer of the White Dragon Emperor, Vali. "Be careful, master."

Naruto stared at the new gauntlet of Boosted Gear for a short moment before outstretching his hand and pinching his little sister's cheek hard. Her golden eyes instantly became watery while she threw her hands about, trying to break free. Her hands gripped his wrist while her legs pushed against him. Still, he did not let her go.

When quite a few people in the area growled at him for hurting Shiroka, including Kuroka, he decided it was enough punishment. "She's faking it."

"Nii-sama is being a meanie! It hurts, Nee-sama," Shiroka called out and raised her short hands towards Kuroka for a hug. She was quickly embraced by the Nekoshou before Serafall could jump in.

"So close," Serafall muttered dejectedly. She then flinched frightfully as she was very close to Esdeath, who now gripping an ice scythe. She immediately backed away before Esdeath chased after her while everyone watched with a sweat-dropped.

"What did you tell Serafall?" Sirzechs asked.

"Do you want another Ice Queen?" Falbium asked.

Sirzechs blinked as his mind clicked. "Ohhhh! Is that why she following Naruto around?"

"Nyaaaaa," Kuroka purred while the bell around her neck jingled by Shiroka.

Naruto rubbed his head each time the bell rang, but did not say anything.

"Wow I'm so powerful now. Maybe I'm an Ultimate Class?" Issei called out as he tried out his upgraded gauntlet. The aura created by the blue crystals intensified, further halving everyone's power and added them to his own. His strength soared to new height.

"Powerful? Ultimate class? Don't fool yourself. You are still weak, Sekiryuutei," Naruto said as lightning crackled around him, amplifying his strength several hundreds fold. "You will always be weak as long as you borrow powers from your Sacred Gear. As long as you rely on it, it is not you that others feared. It is your Sacred Gear, and without it, how strong will you be?"

Issei looked confused. The Sacred Gear was his power, wasn't it?

Naruto sighed and opened his palm. Lightning crackled between his fingers. The four Satan immediately became attentive including the previously sleeping Falbium. Sirzechs was about to leave his seat in order to stop the imminent attack against his future brother-in-law. Ajuka stopped him, however.

"It will be a good lesson," Ajuka said thoughtfully.

"I will teach you what it meant to fight on your own strength and earn powers that you could call your own," Naruto said as he compacted and condensed his lighting into a small rod. He fired the lighting rod at Issei. The speed it flew was far beyond Issei's ability to evade so he attempted to block it instead.

"So when did you learn that he completed it?" Ajuka asked, curiously, while Sirzechs relaxed a little.

"Naruto-kun had used it against my peerages," Sirzechs responded, frowningly. "Even now, they are still crippled, unable to access their full powers. I know he always is looking for an advantage over those that he designed as enemies, but things aren't always what he sees. I honestly do not approve of this method being used on our would-be allies. What is the point of crippling a person who was starting to learn and understand what he has?"

Ajuka paused for a moment. "Do you not believe in Sekiryuutei-kun?"

Sirzechs eyed him and then chuckled. "I guess I'm not a very good brother-in-law huh? Very well, I will believe in Issei-kun; may he overcome this obstacle."

Issei screamed aguishly as lighting wrapped around him. The lighting rod descended into his body, while passing through his flesh unhindered. The dragon within him squirmed and roared as the link it had with its host was forcibly disrupted.

"Issei!" Ddraig called out as loud as it could, but its host could no longer hear it. "Hang in there!"

"Issei/-kun!" All of his friends called and rushed to him. The moment they reached him, he collapsed onto the ground on all four, panting profusely. Beads of sweat ran down the side of his face while the gauntlet around his hand vanished.

"Ddraig?" Issei called out while looking at his hand. No dragon responded.

"What did you do to Issei!?" Rias demanded, but Naruto did not pay any attention to her. "Naruto! Tell me!"

"Shut up, Gremory. If you've taught your pawn better then he would stop flaunting around powers that isn't his – isn't even belonging to our kind. And you, Issei, show me that you can stand in front of me on your own power. Until then, you don't deserve to be called a devil," Naruto said before he vanished in a crimson flash along with his peerages as well as the speechless Kuroka.

"Rias," Sirzechs said as he landed next to the group after he told everyone to disperse. "Everything will be fine."

"Nii-sama," Rias greeted. "What did Naruto do to Issei?"

"Naruto-kun has disabled his Sacred Gear," Sirzechs answered while giving a quick glance at Issei, who was laughing weakly at his predicament. Even powerless, there was fire burning in his eyes, which had earned Sirzechs' approval. "Until Issei-kun can overcome the restriction placed upon him by Naruto-kun, he will not be able to access his Sacred Gear."

"Uzumaki-san can do something like that?" Yuuto asked, shocked.

"Naruto-kun didn't disable it. The more correct term would be severed the connection between Issei and Ddraig, thus preventing Issei from activating any of Ddraig's power," Ajuka said as he approached the group. He examined Issei for a little while before smiling. "While we constantly researched on how to duplicate God's work as well as improving a wielder's potential, Naruto went the opposite direction by using mine and Azazel's research. He didn't want to improve the synchronization of a host and his or her Sacred Gear. Instead, he wished to disrupt or distort the bond. In doing so, he created a technique that inhibits a wielder's ability to channel the power of a Sacred Gear."

"Ajuka-sama," Rias called politely. "Can you help Issei?"

"I can," Ajuka answered and looked over the group. "But I afraid I won't. This is for your own good too, Rias-chan. You must learn to master your abilities and prowess as a part of our race without relying on your Sacred Gear completely. More than half your peerage is relying on it right now, and one day it will be turned against you. How will you defend all those that you cared about then?"

"Don't be so down, everyone," Serafall called out when the young devils saddened. "Just stand on your own power and then Naru-tan will acknowledge you. Right now, he's moody because … well Naru-tan is always moody. I know! I will go and cheer him up."

"Is no one going to stop her?" Yuuto asked while Serafall ran off to break into Akatsuki – again.

"A few days in jail will do her good, and I wish she would come out and admit it," Ajuka said. "When she gets rejected, she will refocus on her work rather than heading there every couple of days on some false pretense."

**– To be continued –**

I wonder if I should tell you exactly what Shiroka is, but it's fun to have you guys guessing. Remember that when Shiroka says "I" then she is telling the truth. And this story is about the relationship between Naruto and Kuroka, not about the cannon plots. Story doesn't follow cannon plot anyway.


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